A forum on outmoded cultural practices and irresponsible parenting and their effect on child streetism has been held at Nyariga, near Bolgatanga, with a call on parents to invest in their children.

 

The Deputy Upper East Regional Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Mike Fuoh, who addressed the forum, emphasised that it was only through education that children could grow up to become responsible adults and assist in development of their communities.

 

The forum was organised by Youth Alive, a Non-governmental organisation, with support from the Bongo area development programme of the World Vision International, with the view to sensitising the people on negative cultural practices that impinged on the development of the child.

 

Mr. Fuoh said every child was supposed to receive guidance from his or her parents in order for them to become a good citizen, stressing, “the kind of training we give our children determines the kind of society we will have”.

 

The NCCE Deputy Director also urged parents to refrain from the negative cultural practices that infringed on the rights of children, such as preference for the boy-child, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and rather encourage and support their children’s education.

 

The Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Mr. Bernard Bananzi, stressed the need for both spouses to put the welfare of their children first in whatever they did, adding that this way the children would not be deprived of the needed parental care.

 

Later in an interview, the Project Co-ordinator of Youth Alive, Mr. Robert Alagskomah, said the NGO was currently assisting over 202 children to pursue education, adding that out of the figure 114 children were in formal education while the remaining 88 were doing vocational training.

 

He said the NGO supported the children with school fees, exercise books and uniforms and that those under vocational training were supported with working tools, uniforms and monthly stipends.