SCA’s advocacy train visited four schools – St. Louis Jubilee JHS, Vicande International, Kwadaso SDA (A), and Kwadaso SDA (B) from March 17th to March 22nd. The train’s aim was to raise awareness about promoting child rights and equal opportunities for children in street and other vulnerable situations. The students were educated on child rights, child abuse, types and symptoms of abuse, child protection, and the appropriate authorities to report abuse cases to. #SCA #advocacytrain #childrights #equalopportunities #education #childabuse #childprotection

During the visit, the team noted that some of the school’s Girl Child Coordinators had already educated female students occasionally on sexual abuse and other forms of abuse. This was evident when the team encountered students singing a song about child abuse that had been composed by the school. The team also engaged with both students and teachers, who asked insightful questions and were provided with informative responses. #SCA #advocacytrain #childabuseprevention #education #awareness #sexualabuseprevention

The education provided during the visit was highly beneficial, and the school authorities expressed their willingness to invite the advocacy train regularly for more education on child rights and child protection. This is a positive indication that the message is spreading, and more individuals are becoming aware of the importance of promoting child rights and protecting vulnerable children. #SCA #advocacytrain #childrights #childprotection #awareness #education

Safe-Child Advocacy and Hope Exchange have joined forces to carry out a health screening at the Drop-In-Centre in Kumasi, Ghana. The event was aimed at promoting the health and well-being of over 200 young and vulnerable mothers (Kayaye), ahead of the International Day for Street Children 2023.

We are committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for all children, especially those who are most vulnerable, Safe-Child Advocacy and Hope Exchange believe that every child deserves access to basic healthcare services and the opportunity to live a healthy life while enjoying their basic human rights. This event is just one of the many ways that we are fulfilling the mission to improve the lives of street children and other vulnerable families.

We urge everyone to support the cause and contribute in any way they can towards improving the lives of street children and their families. By doing so, we can make a positive impact on the lives of these children and empower them to achieve their full potential. Together, we can work towards creating a brighter future for all children.

In commemoration of the 2023 International Day for Street Children on April 12th. Safe-Child Advocacy (SCA) as part of its activities has dedicated the month of March for education and awareness campaign in 10 selected public and private schools in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The aim of this campaign is to promote child rights and equal opportunities for all children, by educating pupils on their rights and responsibilities. The team also raised awareness on child abuse and the necessary steps to take towards child safeguarding and protection, to ensure that the rights of children are not violated or ignored.

During our visits to Aburaso Methodist Junior High School and St. Louis Jubilee School on the 8th and 10th of March 2023 respectively, we educated pupils on their rights and responsibilities, created awareness on what constitutes abuse, effects of child abuse, signs and symptoms of abuse, where to seek support or redress when abused etc., and outlined the necessary steps to take in reporting cases of abuse. Additionally, we educated pupils on the need for protection of the rights of the child, whose responsibility is it to protect and safeguard the rights of children to ensure their growth and promote their well-being etc. and provided pupils with helplines to call in case of an emergency or to report any case of abuse.
Pupils from the various schools actively engaged in the discussions and followed up with a wide range of questions which the team provided answers to. Also, the team seized the opportunity to inquire from the school authorities the availability of a Child Protection Policy in the schools and its implementation in promoting the well-being of the pupils in their schools. The team further informed authorities of the availability of SCA to facilitate the process to enable them draw up their own policy if they do not have. Our hope is that this campaign will promote child rights and help ensure the safety and protection of children in Kumasi.

We are excited to announce that Safe-Child Advocacy is launching an advocacy program this month within ten selected schools in Kumasi. Our aim is to promote child rights, child protection, and the benefits of education and skilled training.

We must prioritize the safety and well-being of our children. Unfortunately, child abuse and neglect are still prevalent issues that must be addressed. Through our program, we will educate parents, teachers, and children on how to identify and prevent child abuse.

Furthermore, we believe that education and skill training is essential for a child’s growth and development. Our program will provide valuable information on the benefits of education and skilled training and how it can help children build a better future.

We urge parents, teachers, and guardians to join us in our efforts to create a safe and nurturing environment for our children. Let us work together to ensure that every child has access to education, protection, and a bright future.

Thank you for your support.

Safe-Child Advocacy had the honor of receiving a guest from Misereor, our major donor agency, in the person of Mr. Nilges Thorsten. The visit gave Mr. Thorsten the opportunity to meet the Archbishop of Kumasi- the legal owner of Safe-Child Advocacy, the Chair of SCA management Board with some members of the Management Board, SCA Management Team and other stakeholders particularly accomplished past beneficiaries and beneficiaries currently under support.  Mr. Thorsten visited all three Centers of SCA and met with the staff at the drop-in Center, Government agencies, and Non- government agencies in collaboration with SCA in her service delivery. One of such was the Department of Social Welfare, Kumasi Metro, Muslim Family Counselling(MFCS) Service and Chance for Children (CFC) respectively.

During his visit, Mr. Thorsten was able to see firsthand the impact of our programs on vulnerable children and their families. He expressed how impressed he was at the enormity of services rendered to target group and the dedication of our vibrant staff, the effectiveness of our programs, evident in the feedback from beneficiaries.
We are grateful to Misereor for their continued support of our advocacy work and for their commitment to improving the lives of children in street and other vulnerable situations. Their support enables us to reach more children and families, provide essential services and support, and advocate for the rights and welfare of vulnerable children.

We appreciate Mr. Thorsten taking the time to visit our Centers, met with our team members, and interact with our beneficiaries. His visit has. His visit is indicative of the interest and commitment of Misereor to SCA services.Our current project supported by Misereor is on “Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Children in Street and other Vulnerable Situations” An aspect of this project focuses on input in 3 selected communities in the Northern Region of Ghana on Child Rights/what constitutes child abuse.

We are thankful to Misereor for their support.We look forward to continued collaboration in to make the world safe for all children.

Management of Safe-Child Advocacy, Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi organized a team-building workshop for staff on Wednesday, 11th January 2022 on the theme “Building a Successful Team” to prepare and equip the team to deliver quality services and achieve success in the 2023 work year. The session began with an icebreaker facilitated by the Programs Manager, Jessica Deh, where staff shared how they spent their Christmas holidays. It was fascinating to hear staff share their experiences on how they celebrated Christmas. It was a great opportunity for bonding for the staff after a long break and set the tone for the workshop.

The team further was grouped into three (3) according to the various Centres of operation i.e., the Drop-in Centre, Daycare Centre, and Vocational Training Centre to engage in a group discussion on building a successful work team. The various Centres, as part of the discussions, set their aspirations or goals for the year and made individual commitments towards their achievement. The team also looked at some possible challenges that may hinder the achievement of their goals and proposed measures to mitigate such limitations to ensure that they achieve success at the end of the year.

This exercise offered an opportunity for great learning for staff and prepared their minds towards working to achieve the success of the institution in 2023.

Team building workshops are great ways to create a strong bond between team members and improve team dynamics, especially when starting a new work year.

#teambuilding #collaboration #questionnaires #learning #teamdynamics