Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Street Children and Children in Other Vulnerable Situations Project

INTRODUCTION

The Center for Development and Policy Advocacy (CEDEPA-GHANA) and the Coalition of NGOs Against Streetism (CONAS), in partnership with other dedicated child rights champions, have been tirelessly advocating for the rights and well-being of street children and children in vulnerable situations in Ghana. As part of their efforts, CEDEPA-GHANA organized a press conference and two community durbars in Gbrimani, Kotingli and Zangbalun to mark the International Day for Street Children (IDSC-2024).

The project, Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Street Children and Children in other Vulnerable Situations, aims to create an environment where street children feel a sense of belonging in the Ghanaian society. Despite numerous laws, legislations, and policies aimed at safeguarding child rights in Ghana, the interests and welfare of street children have often been overlooked or given minimal attention in the country’s political discourse and manifestos.

OBJECTIVES

1. To advocate for the inclusion of specific tailored interventions for street children in the 2024 manifestos of major political parties, emphasizing the need to treat child streetism as a distinct and higher form of child vulnerability.
2. To raise awareness about the rights and challenges faced by street children, and to promote policies and interventions that positively impact their lives.
3. To engage with community members, leaders, and stakeholders, such as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Members of Parliament, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), to prioritize the welfare and protection of street children.
4. To call for proper resourcing of the Department of Social Welfare to effectively discharge their duties of safeguarding the rights of street children.
5. To advocate for the establishment of a dedicated Fund to provide grants to NGOs working to complement the efforts of the State in child rights protection.
6. To provide support and resources to vulnerable children, including scholarships and educational materials, to promote their academic success and overall well-being.

METHODOLOGY

The project employed a wide-range approach to achieve its objectives:

1. Press Conference

Purpose: To advocate for specific policy inclusions for street children in the manifestos of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Activities: Highlighting the lack of attention to street children in previous manifestos and calling for concrete actions and policies in the upcoming 2024 manifestos.

2. Community Durbars

Locations: Zangbalun and Gbrimani.

Purpose: To engage community members, leaders, and stakeholders in discussions about child rights and protection.

Activities: Presentations and discussions led by resource persons from various agencies, including the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), and the Ghana Education Service (GES). Topics included the rights of street-connected children, the importance of education, and the adverse effects of teenage pregnancy, early marriage, child labor, school dropout, and kayayei migration.

3. Scholarship Presentation

Purpose: To provide direct support to outstanding students from deprived backgrounds

Activities: Awarding scholarships to ten students who excelled in the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), including financial support, textbooks, sanitary pads, and monthly stipends.

4. Sensitization Campaigns

Purpose: To raise awareness about the rights and challenges of street children and other vulnerable groups.

Activities: Educating community members on the impacts of various socio-economic issues on children’s welfare and encouraging community support to address these issues.

ACTIVITIES

Press Conference

On the occasion of the International Day for Street Children (IDSC-2024), CEDEPA-GHANA and CONAS held a press conference to advocate for the inclusion of specific interventions for street children in the 2024 manifestos of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The press conference highlighted the lack of attention given to street children in the 2016 and 2020 manifestos of these major political parties.

During the press conference, CEDEPA-GHANA and CONAS emphasized the need to treat child streetism as a distinct and higher form of child vulnerability, as the longer children remain on the streets, the more difficult it becomes to reintegrate them into society. They appealed to the Presidential Candidates, Political Party Manifesto Committees and Members of Parliament to incorporate specific tailored interventions for street children in their 2024 manifestos.

Community Durbar in Gbrimani

On Sunday, April 21, CEDEPA-GHANA, in partnership with the Child Protection Committee (CPC) in Gbrimani in the Tolon District and with financial support from Adamfo Ghana, organized a successful community durbar as part of the activities to mark the International Day for Street Children (IDSC-2024).

The durbar was attended by the Chief and his elders, the District Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the new and immediate past Assembly Members of the area, the clergy, youth and women groups, parents, guardians, and children.

Focusing on the theme “#belonging,” the CPC members reminded the community members about the rights of street-connected children and their obligation to create an enabling environment for such children by providing them with love and care to feel a sense of belonging in their homes, families, and communities.

The community members were also sensitized about the adverse effects of teenage pregnancy, forced and early marriage, child labor, school dropout, and kayayei migration on the welfare of their children.

CEDEPA-GHANA handed over five scholarship packages, each worth GHS 2,000, to the Gbrimani CPC for onward presentation to five deprived students from the Gbrimani Junior High School who excelled in the 2023 BECE and received placements in various Senior High Schools. Each student received a Citation, textbooks in core subjects, and will be provided with monthly stipends to enable them to buy sanitary pads and provisions during their three-year studies at the Senior High School level.

The District PRO of the Ghana Education Service supervised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the students and their guardians, ensuring that the students and guardians abide by the conditions of the scholarship, which included not becoming pregnant, not marrying, not dropping out, not traveling to kayayei, and maintaining academic excellence in their studies. The guardians also signed an MoU to complement the support provided to their wards and ensure their successful completion of school.

The scholarship fulfillment was part of a promise made to the community under the “Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Street Children and Children in other Vulnerable Situations Project,” which is being implemented by CEDEPA-GHANA and its partner organization in Kumasi, Safe-Child Advocacy (SCA), in three communities in the Northern Region of Ghana, with financial support from Misereor, Wilde Ganzen, and Adamfo Ghana.

Community Durbar in Zangbalun

On Saturday, April 28, CEDEPA-GHANA partnered with the Child Protection Committee (CPC) of Zangbalun in the Kumbungu District to organize a successful community durbar at the palace of the Chief of Zangbalun. The durbar was part of the activities to mark the International Day for Street Children and focused on the theme/hashtag of “#belonging for street-connected children.”

Resource persons from the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), and a representative of the Kumbungu District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) spoke on the urgent need for action at the parental, household, family, and community levels to create an enabling environment for street-connected children. They emphasized the importance of providing quality education, teaching children values of love, care, empathy, honesty, and hard work, as well as ensuring proper nutrition and healthcare.

During the durbar, CEDEPA-GHANA presented Citations of honor and scholarships worth GHS 2,000 each to five students from deprived backgrounds who excelled in the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). These students also received textbooks in core subjects and will be provided with sanitary pads and modest monthly stipends during their three-year stay at the Senior High School level.

The Paramount Chief of the Zangbalun Traditional Area, His Royal Highness, Naa Dr. Mahama, awarded an additional GHS 200 to each of the five best students and advised the students, their guardians, and the entire community to prioritize the education of their children as a means to uplift themselves from ignorance, poverty, and vulnerability.

OUTCOMES

1. Increased awareness about the rights and challenges of street children, with advocacy efforts aimed at incorporating specific interventions for street children in the 2024 manifestos of major political parties.
2. Commitment from community leaders, stakeholders, and government officials to prioritize the welfare and protection of street children and create an enabling environment for their sense of belonging.
3. Support and resources provided to vulnerable children, including scholarships, educational materials, and monthly stipends, to promote their academic success and overall well-being.
4. Sensitization of community members on the adverse effects of harmful practices, such as teenage pregnancy, forced and early marriage, child labor, school dropout, and kayayei migration, on the welfare of children.
5. Engagement and collaboration with various stakeholders, including the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), the Ghana Education Service (GES), Child Protection Committees (CPCs), and traditional leaders, to promote child rights and protection.

FINDINGS

1. Policy Gaps

The 2016 and 2020 manifestos of the NDC and NPP did not adequately address the needs of street children.

The term “street children” was largely absent from these documents, indicating a lack of targeted focus on this vulnerable group.

2. Community Support

Strong community willingness to support child rights initiatives was evident in both Zangbalun and Gbrimani.

Community leaders and members showed a keen interest in participating in discussions and contributing to solutions for protecting and supporting street children.

3. Educational Impact

The scholarship program had a significant positive impact on the recipients, providing them with the resources needed to continue their education.

The financial support, textbooks, and monthly stipends were crucial in ensuring that these students could focus on their studies without the distraction of financial hardship.

4. Awareness and Sensitization

The sensitization campaigns effectively raised awareness among community members about the challenges faced by street children.

There was a notable increase in understanding of the importance of community support in addressing issues like teenage pregnancy, early marriage, child labor, school dropout, and kayayei migration.

CONCLUSION

The project; Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Street Children and Children in other Vulnerable Situations Project by CEDEPA-GHANA and its partners has successfully advocated for policies and interventions that address the needs of street children, created awareness about their rights and challenges, and provided support and resources to vulnerable children. The press conference, community durbars, and scholarship presentations demonstrated the commitment of these organizations to promoting child rights and protection in Ghana.

Through these efforts, CEDEPA-GHANA and its partners have amplified the voices of street children and children in vulnerable situations, calling for their inclusion in political manifestos and policy discussions. The project has also highlighted the importance of community engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to create an enabling environment where these children can feel a sense of belonging and have equal opportunities for education, personal growth, and overall well-being.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Sustained Advocacy

Continue advocating for the inclusion of specific measures for street children in political party manifestos and government policies.

Engage with political parties, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the needs of street children are prioritized in national agendas.

2. Community Mobilization

Strengthen community engagement efforts to foster a supportive environment for vulnerable children.

Organize regular community durbars and sensitization campaigns to maintain awareness and encourage ongoing community participation in child protection efforts.

3. Ongoing Support

Ensure continuous provision of educational and basic needs support to vulnerable children to reduce the risk of streetism.

Expand scholarship programs and other forms of direct support to reach more children in need.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation

Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the project’s impact and ensure continuous improvement.

Regularly review and adjust project activities based on feedback and outcomes to maximize effectiveness.

5. Resource Allocation

Advocate for adequate resourcing of the Department of Social Welfare to enable effective child protection efforts.

Ensure that government agencies tasked with child welfare have the necessary funds and personnel to carry out their duties effectively.

6. Dedicated Fund

Encourage the government to set up a dedicated fund to support NGOs working in child rights protection, reducing reliance on external donors.

This fund should provide grants to NGOs to complement state efforts in safeguarding the rights and well-being of street children and other vulnerable groups.