The child and vulnerable protection project members with stakeholders at the launch in Yendi
The Catholic Diocese of Yendi in the Yendi municipality of the Northern region has launched a child and vulnerable protection project.
About 13 basic Catholic schools one in Yendi, Chereponi six, Wulensi six with one orphanage in Sang and Makayili are expected to benefit from the project.
The child and vulnerable protection project is a two-year project funded by Kindermissionswerk , a German Catholic funding agency.
The goal of the project is to improve child protection practices and meaningful participation of children in decisions and actions that concern them targeting over 123 schools and institutions under the Yendi Diocese and reaching about 2,250 children and vulnerable adults by 2024.
The project seeks to adapt and implement the child rights policies from the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in 13 schools and catholic facilities under the Yendi Dioceses and also provide counseling and emotional support services to abused children and vulnerable adults in two parishes under the Yendi Diocese.
David Yiridong Issaka, Project Technical Advisor at the launch said the project will contribute to protecting the rights of children in schools and communities, support abused children and vulnerable adults through integrated interventions such as; awareness creation, social protection services noting that it will result in creating a society where the rights and welfare of children and the vulnerable are sufficiently safeguarded.
According to him, Public awareness on what constitutes child and vulnerable rights in the target schools and communities remain very low and for that matter, the Centre for Child and Vulnerable Protection will carry out public awareness through radio, symposium, community drama, announcements in public places such as market squares, transport stations, places of worship aimed at increasing public knowledge and attitudes towards child and vulnerable protection issues.
He indicated that the Child and Vulnerable Protection Centre will facilitate and animate the formation of Child Protection Clubs in at least 13 Basic Schools under the Yendi Diocese, targeting six Schools in each of the two Parishes of Yendi Diocese under the pilot phase of the project adding that members of these school-based clubs will serve as a critical linkage for the project in the area of providing peer education and also reporting cases of peer abuse at both school and community levels.
“The Project will facilitate the training of child protection patrons in each of the 13 schools under the two parishes. Each of the 13 Basic Schools targeted by this project will promote responsible adults to serve as patrons to the clubs. These patrons will be given training on Child and Vulnerable Protection to enable them to execute their mandate effectively through mentoring, coaching, and reorientating staff, pupils, and communities.”
Mr. Issaka disclosed that an abuse complaint system will be established to enable abused children and vulnerable adults lay complain without being victimized, the project in partnership with Social Welfare and Community development to provide psychological counseling to abused children and vulnerable adults, provide free legal services to abused victims as well as collaborating with the Police to help in law enforcement to secure justice for abused children and vulnerable adults.
The Bishop of the Yendi Archdiocese, Most. Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai expressed his gratitude to Kindermissionswerk of Germany for their continuous support of various projects in the Yendi diocese.
Most. Rev. Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai called for massive support from stakeholders and partners for the successful implementation of the child and vulnerable protection project.
He encouraged the project management team to give their best to make the project a huge success in the greater spirit of promoting inclusive development and the protection of the rights of children and vulnerable adults.
FROM Eric Kombat, Yendi