Foundation fetes deprived children

Daily Graphic, Pg 11. Thurs. Jan 14/10

Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
OVER 200 deprived children residing in Agbogbloshie, a slum in Accra have been feted to food and drinks by the New Generation for Africa Foundation (NGAF), a non-governmental organisation based in Accra.
The programme organised for children whose parents are mostly head porters (Kayayei), was to make the children happy .
According to the Executive Director, Mrs Susanna A. Mahama, NGAF worked towards empowering children, women, families and other deprived members in the communities through integrated development programmes to add meaning and value to the lives of all children, through counselling, advocacy and service delivery.
The organisation also aims at improving the lives of children by collaborating with schools, parents, the community, civil society organisations, government agencies and the donor community.
She said although NGAF was not a religious-based organisation, it collaborated with some religious organisations to run a moral and preventive educational programme for children both in and out of school, including street children.
“Our vision is to ensure that, the rights of all Ghanaian children are respected by the society and to build a healthy and poverty- free Society in Ghana”, Mrs Mahama added.
She said a research conducted by NGAF last year, showed that mothers of the beneficiary children worked throughout the year , yet they found it difficult to make ends meet and acquire the basic necessities in life, namely, food clothing and shelter.
She said these children were growing up in an unfriendly environment where their rights were denied stressing that it behoved all Ghanaians to ensure that such children were given the needed care and support which would help their future.
She observed that children’s rights had not received enough attention, nor given enough priority in the country, and that she said made it very difficult to solicit funds to organise such activities for children whose parents coul not cater for them adequately.
A member of NGAF, Mrs Marylyn Amponsah Annan said the organisation would not stop at only organising parties for the children but would also empower their mothers so that they would be able to provide them with their basic needs as well as educate them.