Mr. Kwabena Fosu, the Integrated Development Facilitator of the Sekyere East Cluster of the WVG, said it was determined to raise awareness and to provide adequate protection for children.

The rights of children should be respected and people should be empowered to identify and report any acts of abuse, he said, at a durbar held at Putuom, a farming community.  Mr. Fosu spoke of the need to take deliberate steps to help the community members to work together with the relevant state institutions on matters relating to child’s protection, child’s labour and discrimination against children with disabilities.

The durbar was jointly organized by the WVG, the Department of Social Welfare and the District Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative justice (CHRAJ). It provided the platform not only to sensitize members of the community on child labour and abuse but to build the capacity of the committees to monitor and protect the rights of, especially rural children.

Mr. Fosu said the goal was to deepen community participation in the protection of children.

The District Social Welfare Officer, Mr. Awale Mohammed Hamid, reminded parents to put premium on children’s education and growth. They should do everything to provide them with their basic needs - food, shelter and clothing to enable them to lead normal life.

He cautioned against forcing children into early marriages and said doing that was wrong – a child right abuse.Mrs. Bertha Zaazie, the District Director of CHRAJ, urged parents and guardians to avoid engaging children in any job that was hazardous and unhelpful to their growth and development.

She added that they created equal opportunity for both the boy and the girl child to pursue academic careers.