ActionAid Ghana recounts impact of Child Sponsorship Programme  

ActionAid Ghana has underscored the transformative impact of its Child Sponsorship Programme on the lives of children in rural communities in the Upper West Region as the organisation marks the Day of the African Child.  

Speaking at an event in the Mwofo community in the Jirapa Municipality to celebrate the Day, Mr Amatus Aaron Dangboor, the Upper West Regional Programme Officer of ActionAid Ghana, described the Child Sponsorship Programme as a “lifeline for communities”.  

He said the Programme fostered partnership, promoted empowerment, and facilitated sustainable development in communities in the region.   

The celebration was on the theme: “Planning and Budgeting for Children: Progress Since 2010”, was not only to recognise the potential of African children, but also to renew commitment to protecting their rights and investing in their future.  

School children from Lambussie and Jirapa Municipalities and traditional leaders participated in the celebration, which featured cultural dance by school children and poetry recitals on child rights protection and well-being.    

Mr Dangboor indicated that the Programme had made a “lasting impact” in the lives of the children in the areas of access to quality education, improved health and nutrition, and protection of their rights, among others.   

“Many children in our sponsored communities now attend school in improved learning environments.   

Classrooms have been renovated and teaching materials provided, all made possible through sponsorship funding”, he explained.   

Mr Dangboor mentioned the donation of 479 dual desks to six basic schools in the Jirapa, Lambussie, and Sissala East Districts through the Child Sponsorship Programme, which benefited about 960 pupils.  

Other interventions included the provision of boreholes, sanitation facilities, and community health education initiatives that improved awareness on hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention.  

He added that about 25 mothers of sponsored children in the three districts had received startup kits for soap and pastries making to help boost their household incomes, reduce poverty, and lower the vulnerability of their children.  

Mr Dangboor commended the international donors and child sponsors whose generosity had brought hope to thousands of children.  

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Peter N. N. To-Ang, the Jirapa Municipal Chief Executive, observed that the celebration was a clarion call to place the needs of children at the centre of development.  

He emphasised the protection of children’s rights to health, education, protection and participation as those were entitlements of every child regardless of his or her socio-economic background.   

Mr To-Ang reiterated the government’s resolve to implement policies and programmes to ensure children enjoyed their rights, including their rights to quality education and healthcare.   

Mr Huudu Kunateh, the Jirapa Municipal Director of Education, said the Ghana Education Service had been planning and budgeting for children’s well-being in school including feeding.   

He said despite those interventions, many children were still out of school due to many factors, including child marriage, stigma, disability and gender-based discrimination.   

Other speakers at the event included the Catholic Priest in charge of Tizza, representative from the Church of Pentecost, the Jirapa Municipal DOVVSU, and National Commission for Civic Education.   

GNA