The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development has organized a community sensitization programme at Ntiri-Buoho to educate residents on child neglect and promote responsible parenting.
The programme highlighted child neglect as one of the most common forms of child abuse, explaining that it occurs when parents or caregivers fail to provide for a child’s basic physical, emotional, educational, or medical needs.
During the sensitization, Madam Nyagbo Mabel educated participants on the importance of effective communication between parents and their children. She emphasized the need for parents to be actively involved in their children’s lives and cautioned against leaving children unattended at home. Participants were also reminded that parental responsibility extends throughout a child’s development. As part of the discussions, the facilitators resolved to invite both parents involved in identified child welfare cases to the Social Welfare office for further engagement.
Several child welfare concerns were identified during the programme. One mother admitted that although her daughter was in Senior High School, she had never visited her at school. She was advised to visit her daughter at least once every term to monitor her welfare and provide emotional support.
The team also encountered cases of school absenteeism and dropout. Two children from the same family were reported to have stopped attending school without any clear reason. In another case, a school dropout, Christiana Yeboah, expressed a strong desire to continue her education at an international school in a nearby community. However, her mother and uncle indicated that they could not afford the school fees. The child’s mother further explained that the child’s father was responsible for her upkeep.
The sensitization programme was facilitated by Mr. Godfred Atta-Effa, Madam Rahinatu Akorla, Madam Mercy Gyamfuah, and Madam Nyagbo Mabel.
A total of 120 people participated in the programme, comprising 65 females, 30 males, and 25 children.
The Department recommended follow-up visits to the identified households to monitor the cases of school dropout and parental neglect. It also emphasized the need for continued engagement with both parents to develop sustainable solutions that safeguard the welfare and education of the affected children.
