Afrikids Ghana, a non-governmental humanitarian organisation which started in Shirigu in the Kasena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region in 1992 with the aim of providing assistance to the weak, poor, neglected and less privilege in society, is twenty years.
The inception of Afrikids Ghana in 1992 was as a result of a young British volunteer who was touched by the plight of little children in the Shirigu community, and the selfless commitment of one Sister Jane who was mobilising resources from community members to take care of orphans. She initially supported the children with her little stipends until she got support from overseas to help the poor children. The organisation has since spread to other parts of the Upper East Region and beyond and covered many people.
Afrikids Ghana in its twenty years in the Upper East Region, has impacted many lives, bringing changes to societies, changing lives , giving hope to the hopeless, safeguarding the rights of the vulnerable and putting smiles on the faces of children.
Engagement with Communities.
Afrikids Ghana, has engaged communities and community leaders on varied issues with the aim of making life better for all. The organisation remarkably through its engagement, was able to persuade the Shirigu community which was known for killing “the spirit Children” which they classified as evil spirits or dwarfs, to stop the practice.
Again, through same community engagement, the organisation was able to persuade some communities in the region to stop the practice of female genital mutilation which was a common practice prior to the inception of the organisation.
The chief of the Sirigu traditional area, Naba, Atogum’deaya Akwara, expressed his frofound gratitude to the organisation for the support it has offered to members of his traditional area. He also praised Afrikids for its advice against the killing of “the spirit child” and the female genital mutilation.
“One thing is that our tradition allows us to practice female genital mutilation. So we practiced it without knowing that it is affecting our women. So we did as our customary rights but when Afrikids was established in Sirigu, they took the guys who were doing it through a lot of training and we realised that it is not good for us to cut the most sweetest part away so we have stopped it.”
Naba Akwara also declared that through the engagement with Afrikids, his traditional area no longer practice the killing of “the spirit children”
The Paramount Chief added that the practice of killing children perceived as evil spirit in has community has stopped through the effort of Afrikids Ghana.
“The spirit child phenomenon, we use to keep the children we called dwarfs because they were born with some deformities, at a hill in the community and placed a stone on them to die because we thought that they were bringing bad omen to the family and the community, but with the intervention of Afrikids, that is no longer practiced.”
Empowerment
The organisation has also empowered many vulnerable groups including widows and orphans, to be self sufficient. Afrikids has provided capital to selected women in some communities to engage in various commercial activities and that has improved their livelihoods and that of their children thereby improving the livings standards of households.
Education
In education, over 308,000 learners have been provided with various forms of assistance to learn. Over 60 school projects has also been approved to make the learning environment conducive for the children to learn. The organisation has also offered scholarship support to some needy students to pursue various courses from the SHS level through to the college and University level.
Child Rights
Through the establishment of Child Rights Clubs in various basic schools, Afrikids Ghana has empowered over 171,000 students on their rights.
To celebrate its achievements and the way forward, Afrikids Ghana on Friday 9th September, 2022, launched its 20th anniversary at the Plus Akayet Hotel in Bolgatanga.
Speaking at the launch, the country director of Afrikids Ghana Mr. Pwalua David said “the bases of the existence of Afrikids is what makes us unique. Afrikids is unique because it was started ,it was commissioned as a result of the effort of community members and local heroes.”
Mr. Pwalua said the organisation since its inception in the Upper East Region has chalked successes which need to be celebrated.
“it’s been a great period for us at Afrikids, we have achieved extremely a great deal. We have brought sanity in child protection. Now almost everyone appreciate the fact that every child has a right to education, they have their right to life and they have the right to be cared for. Our second achievement is the effort and what we have been able to do in the seven communities in the Kasena Nankana West District, where we have been able to closely work with them to openly declared an end to killing children that they suspect to be carrying bad luck.”
“Currently Afrikids is supporting over 4000 women with micro financing, we have given some skills training and livelihood support. These women have been able to see their children, especially the girl child through school. If not for the relationship with Afrikids, those girls would have dropped out of school and gotten married.”
Afrikids Ghana also launched an ambitious five year strategy to reach one million children in Northern Ghana with education, child protection and health projects.
“One million is quite ambitious but at Afrikids we believe in one thing, we believe in the destruction of the status co to make development happen. So what we are thinking about in terms of achieving is to touch one million lives through proper partnership with the relevant stakeholders. We are also looking atvthe situatuon where we are going to empower people. For us to b able to reach the one million lives, we are saying let’s empower the mothers in particular. Once the women are economically sound, they will be able to take care of their children.”
By Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com