Mr Johnson Shadrach Donkoh, Director of Lutheran Media Ministry (LMM), on Friday called on religious leaders to fashion out activities that would train children to become good leaders in future.
Mr Donkoh made the call at the launch of Child Development and Talent Search Project
(CDTSP) which is aimed at identifying and developing children's talents as well as their
physical and spiritual wellbeing.
LMM is a Christ-centred outreach office of the Laymen League of the Lutheran Church,which was formed in 1917 in the United States by 12 men to support pastors through the use of the media.
It was incorporated in the Ghanaian society in 1994.
The occasion also marked 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an
international convention that sets out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights
of children.
Nations that ratify the Convention are bound by international law and compliance is monitored by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, composed of members from countries around the world.
Mr Donkoh said: "In meeting the spiritual needs of the children, churches would need to
understand the tastes of the youth to design programmes relevant to their hearts and build
them into mature, productive and responsible God fearing adults". He said the effort would contribute towards raising a generation that
would serve as the turning point for the ailing communities on the African continent in
particular and the world at large.
"Children prefer to remain in peer groups, therefore, there is the need for religious leaders
to take advantage of the groups to reach out to the children to follow the exemplary footsteps of Jesus Christ," he said.
Mr Donkoh said the Ministry had established a resource centre to develop the spiritual and physical development of the child.
"Information technology is gaining popularity in Ghana, many are becoming computer literate, therefore, the Ministry invites children in and around Mempeasem, Bawaleshie,Agiringano, all suburbs of Accra to the centre to take advantage of the teaching and learning facility available," he added.
Master Godwin Amemordzi, a class six pupil at Evangelical Presbyterian School,Bawalshie, called on the Ministry of Education to collaborate with Ghana Education Service to include the International Children Act in the curriculum to be taught in schools.
Miss Ellen Addo, a Junior High School student of La-Bawaleshie Presbyterian School called on government to subsidise education more in order that payments such as admission fees, exercise books and text books, cost of uniforms and other educational charges would be removed.
She said "this can help children from poor homes to attend school and develop their talents for future development of the country. Government should endeavour to make FCUBE a reality".