Gwollu (UW/R), Dec. 17, GNA – The Millennium Child Support Group (MCSG) has scaled up interventions towards strengthening school-based protection systems to safeguard children in Northern Ghana, especially girls, against all forms of violence within the schools and communities.
This followed incidents of violence against children in Northern Nigeria, including gender-based violence, child marriage, child trafficking and exploitation, which were particularly affecting the lives of girls in the communities.
A statement signed by Dr. Godfrey Ato Parker, the Chief Executive Officer of MCSG, to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, said the Group believed that proactive protection and prevention measures were critical in safeguarding children in Ghana from such violence.
The statement indicated that as part of the interventions, MCSG conducted a school health and hygiene campaign in some communities and schools in the Sissala West District, Upper West Region, including children’s health was a key strategy for building children’s resilience against abuse.
He urged the children to speak up and seek help anytime they feel threatened or harmed and stressed that “a healthy child is more confident to report wrongdoing.”
The statement said Mr. Chakarur Dramani, the Sissala West District Director of Education Service, commended MCSG and its partners for prioritising girls’ safety within the education system.
He emphasised the need for community vigilance to stop child marriage and school-related abuse before they occurred.
He gave the assurance that the leadership of the Gwollu community was committed to partnering with MCSG to keep girls in that community safe and in school.
The statement said some of the pupils expressed appreciation for the outreach and said they now felt more empowered, informed, supported, and confident to speak about violent issues they might experience.
The outreach forms part of the School Feeding and Nutrition Improvement Programme, led by MCSG in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, through its Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and funded by the Spanish Cooperation.
The statement indicated that by combining school attendance, and gender-responsive, interventions, the programme would enhance school attendance, confidence, and long-term educational outcomes, particularly for girls.
It reaffirmed MCSG’s commitment to implementing similar protective interventions across Northern Ghana, to help secure a future where every girl was healthy, protected, and empowered to achieve her full potential.
By Philip Tengzu, GNA
