2018 NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DURBAR

Climaxing the month-long activities outlined for the celebration of the 2018 National Children’s Day, the Department of Children of the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection (in partnership with UNICEF Ghana & the Canada Government) held a community durbar in Shama District on Friday 31^st August, 2018.

The theme for this year celebration is “Leave no Child behind for Africa’s Development; The Rights of Children with Disabilities”. The theme highlights the need to ensure that ‘NO CHILD WITH DISABILITY IS LEFT BEHIND’ targeting children who are not benefitting from Ghana’s growth and development interventions.

The National Children’s Day presents an opportunity to focus on the work of all actors committed to the rights of children. The National Children’s Day also provides an occasion for Governments, Institutions and Communities to renew their on-going commitments towards improving the challenges of marginalized and particularly vulnerable children by organizing activities aimed at including these children.

In a speech read on her behalf, the Western Regional Deputy Minister, Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi reiterated government’s preparedness to cater for the needs of children especially the physically challenged.

Mrs Kusi appealed to the community to renew their commitment to prioritise the education of the vulnerable by enrolling them in the two special schools in the District and asked spiritual and traditional leaders to encourage parents of disabled children to make education their prime motive to make them outshine in their future endeavours.

The Deputy Minister also urged all members of the community to ensure that the well-being of children was their major pre-occupation to speed up development of the area.

The Acting Director at the Department of Children under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Florence Ayisi Quartey tasked all stakeholders to seek the welfare of children especially the disadvantaged.

She re-iterated the need to deepen inclusive education in the educational curriculum to address the concerns of the disabled to access quality education and reminded parents and society of their sacred duty to nurture children to tap their God-given talents for the betterment of society.

The District Chief Executive for Shama, Mr Joseph Amoah said no child would be left behind in the quest to ensure protection, rights and development for children and the Assembly was ready to assist disabled children and appealed to their parents to apply to the Assembly to meet their needs.

A Medical Doctor at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Dr Nana Esi Gaisie deplored the situation where children with special needs were branded as witches, wizards and abandoned by their families and societies.

She reminded society that such children had special teachers and doctors that take care of them to catch up with their friends in life and appealed to family members not to neglect them.

The Acting Queenmother of the Shama traditional Area, Nana Akosua Gyemfiaba II who chaired the function, said children were assets of God and parents must take full responsibility of their upbringing and welfare.

She expressed her readiness to assist parents to nurture their children and bring out their talents to speed up the development of the area.

Children from the Catholic Vocational Special School, the Twin-City Special School, the Sekondi School for the Deaf and those from Shama and environs participated in the event with a cultural performance to trumpet the message that the disabled could exhibit their God-given potentialities.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection wishes to thank all our partners for helping us make the 2018 National Children’s Day a success.