ENFORCE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT..Pleads Tema children (PAGE 11, JUNE 24, 2010)

Children from some selected Junior High Schools in the Tema Metropolis have called for the strict enforcement of the Human Trafficking Act, 2005, to ensure that children grow in a secured and protective environment.
The children made the call at a press briefing in Tema to commemorate this year’s African Union (AU) Day of the African Child. The programme was organised by the Abibiman Foundation through its Green Life Clubs which are set up in schools.
This year's AU Day of the African Child was on the theme “Planning and budgeting for children: Our collective responsibility”. Every year, the AU adopts themes and campaigns relating to the welfare and progress of African children.
The day was instituted on June 16, 1976, during the Apartheid era when a number of black school children were killed in South Africa, as they undertook a peaceful walk to draw attention to the inferior quality of their education and to demand their right to be taught in their own language.
Speakers at the forum in Tema stressed the need for the government and related agencies, as well as all those who have the interest of children at heart, to resolve to stop all forms of child labour, exploitation and trafficking, take positive steps to address inequalities and discrimination against children, including those with disability in order to promote their growth and development.
They contended that taking these steps would guarantee a sustainable future for the Ghanaian child and reaffirm the government’s commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was adopted in the year 2000 at the UN summit in New York.
The children said it was important to ensure that every child had equal rights and opportunities to growth and development, to save the children who are the future leaders of the nation .
Ms Yvonne Acheampong of the Green Life Club noted that it was worrying that the Ghanaian child continued to suffer from the rippling effect of poverty, illiteracy, maternal and child mortality , malaria and other diseases.
She said a number of children have become vulnerable to all forms of social vices as a result of poverty and pointed out that for that reason, most children were unable to access quality education and quality health care.
She commended the government for making giant strides in making education accessible to children,under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education Programme, and through the provision of other incentives such as the capitation grant, school feeding programme, free school uniforms, text books and free bus ride for school crildren.
Ms Acheampong said although these have led to increase in school intake, there was still a lot to be done, adding that some children continued to study under trees, while the teacher- population was also inadequate.
She called on the government to uphold all international agreements and protocols relating to budgetary allocations for the achievement of the MDGs.
Ms Acheampong appealed to the group of Eight Developed countries to support developing countries to invest more in their education and health sectors.