The original school had very little space and the roof was irreparable

23 May, 2012: Although schools are available in Ghana, the building structures are often unstable and unsafe to be inside. In times of severe rainfall and storms, unstable buildings often collapse leaving lots of children unable to go to school.

A safe classroom is the key step in providing children with education. This month, Plan Ghana and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) handed over the keys to a new, fully-furnished classroom block to the Kwabea Asashene District Authority Basic School.

“The days of running to seek shelter when it rains, the fear of walls collapsing and snakes invading our classrooms are gone,”   the head teacher of the school sighed with relief.

This new school comes as part of a project on which Plan Ghana, funded by KOICA, are working. The Project seeks to increase school enrolment and to improve upon the quality of education in the Kwabea Asasehene area.  Located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Kwabea Asasehene is one of the poorest parts of the region. Child labour is a common practice in this community; some children drop out of school to help their parents in their farming or fishing activities to help increase the family income.

Now the children have a safe new school with plenty of room for new children to enrol

As well as increasing the number of children enrolling in school, the project has also helped 543 families form Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). The project has trained these families in business management skills to improve their livelihoods so that they can make extra income to support their children’s education and raise awareness of the dangers of child labour.

The children and the teachers cannot be more grateful for their new school. Providing a safe environment for children, this new school building has also allowed more children to enrol in school due to the enormous space available.

“The new classroom block marks an era of new beginnings for this school, it will not only enhance learning, but will help the pupils strive for academic excellence and ‘live to be the light in their community’ as their school motto says,” Stephen Narh, the headmaster  of the school said.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana

Children with hearing difficulties used sign language to thank Plan and USAID

30 April, 2012: Growing up in Ghana as an adolescent girl can be full of challenges. In communities where poverty is rife, girls are often victims of early marriage and are not likely to have access to education when preference is given to boys.  Although the girls have dreams, not understanding their rights can make it difficult to fulfil them.

Having a disability or impairment makes fulfilling their dreams doubly difficult. Portia, like many of the girls who recently attended a national Girls’ Camp supported by Plan and funded by USAID, has a disability that prevents her from reaching her goals.

Gifty, 15, is visually impaired and her friend Mavis has hearing difficulties but their disability did not present any barriers during the camp.  “We were able to perform our tasks and participate in all the activities just like our colleagues who can see,” said Gifty.

With motivational talks from role models, the girls realised that they can aim high regardless of whether they have a disability. “Now I know I can even aspire to be the President of Ghana!”  explains Mavis.

The 10-day camp, held each year and funded by USAID, aimed to expose the girls to better opportunities and prospects in life. From improving reading skills and self-esteem building exercises, to discussions and awareness raising about early marriage and teenage pregnancies, the girls learnt about their rights and how they can reach for the stars.

Attending the camp has empowered the participants to make positive choices in their lives.  “The challenges that I face will not deter me from reaching my goal in life.  All I want is to be a nurse in future and I will remain focused until I attain my goal,” said a very determined Portia.

Some of the members of the VSLA group in the village of Frafraha

18 April, 2012: In Ghana, children with special needs usually stay at home and are hardly ever taken out because their parents feel ashamed of them. This is because in most communities, children with special needs are thought to have been cursed and are therefore stigmatised.

Even if parents are able to overcome the stigma, another challenge is often the lack of adequate funds to be able to send their children to a special school.  Usually if funds are available they would be used to educate their children without any special needs first.

Joining the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) in Frafraha, a suburb in Accra, has brought about a real difference in the life of 39-year-old Patricia Graham, who until recently could only afford to send Elizabeth, her nine-year-old daughter to school. With the savings she has been able to make through a loan scheme supported by Plan, she can now afford to send Gerald, her 12-year-old has son who has Down Syndrome. to a special school in Accra. “Now my son can have an education like his sister,” Patricia said.

Patricia has also invested some of her savings into in her dressmaking business.  “Indeed joining the VSLA two years ago has enabled me to support my family as my husband is presently unemployed,” said Patricia.

Most of the members of the Frafraha VSLA testify to the fact that the savings and loan scheme has helped them to grow their businesses which include selling food, dressmaking, photography and hair dressing. “We are now able to feed our families and educate our children,” according to Auntie Baby.

Even though life has become much better for members of the Frafraha VSLA, they still have ambitions to benefit from bigger loans in order to expand their businesses.

Plan Ghana is in partnership with CARE International and Barclays Bank to implement the Banking on Change Project, a three-year £10m commitment to support financial inclusion through the development of savings-led community finance projects which are effective in meeting the needs of the poor – providing a way to manage their money and increase their ability to deal with hard times.

Gender discrimination is also decreasing within these communities

26 March, 2012: For nomadic families in countries in West Africa, life can be tough. Often forced to move to other neighbouring countries because of food shortages, they are not always accepted by the communities to which they move.

In Ghana, Fulani pastoralists have moved from countries like Niger and Mali, as bad weather has made harvesting crops and providing fields for their livestock to graze almost impossible.

Often these itinerant communities are not able to benefit from any social and economic assistance which means that the children are not accepted into local schools and denied an opportunity for education.

Plan Ghana is supporting nomadic families living in the Sissala East District in the upper West region of Ghana by encouraging them to save for their future. Made up of 14 men and 16 women, their Village Savings and Loans Association now is helping members to build up their businesses and put their children through school.

After just six months the community could see the huge difference that saving even a little income each month can make. Besides the financial gains, the system also brings men and women together and allows them to work as equals, thereby helping to reduce gender discrimination against women and allowing more women to get involved with the finances of their households.

“I have saved a lot of money already, and I hope that soon I can increase my savings and buy my own cow,” explains Hamadu.

The members have also been putting money towards a solidarity fund for emergency health care, and to buy presents when a new baby is born.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana

Giving out bicycles to children provides exercise, extra curricular activities and a way to get to and from school

21 February, 2012: In small villages in Ghana, many children often have to walk long distances to get to school, making them less inclined to actually go. Those who do go to school are often taught in rundown buildings that are not safe to be inside or where classes cannot be held during bad weather.

In partnership with USAID, Plan Ghana has been building new extensions to old schools and building new schools in other villages in order to attend school.
The Transition and Persistence Project (TAP), also known as the USAID Plan Junior High School Education Project, is an initiative to motivate students at Junior High School level to complete their three-year-period of study once they have enrolled in school.

Attendance rates in junior school level have dropped dramatically from 75% in 2006, to just 48% in 2009*, with children choosing to stay at home and help their parents earn a living instead. This is why USAID and Plan Ghana are working in 156 villages in the country to provide a safe and fun learning environment.

As well as renovating and improving school facilities, the project has also provided schools with uniforms and equipment such as bicycles and footballs so that students can engage in extra-curricular activities. Scholarship schemes, vocational skills training and participation in holiday camps have also been developed as a means of promoting performance within schools.

“Riding my bicycle makes me feel cool and I enjoy going to school. Now walking for long distances to school is a thing of the past,” explains Derek who has benefited from the scheme.

Teachers have not been overlooked either and the partnership supports scholarships for teachers to advance their own learning, teacher excellence awards and training in information and communications technology.

“The new school block and the provision of school uniforms have already increased enrolment in the school. We hope that our other school block will also be replaced with a new one,” Ellen, a teacher in Suhyem,  a small village in Eastern Ghana, tells us.

*2010 Education Strategy Plan (ESP), Ministry of Education in Ghana

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana

Plan encourages families to work as equals, where men and women share jobs

21 November, 2011: Gender inequality, particularly among children, is a huge issue in West Africa and Plan has been working hard to promote the need for gender equality, and raise awareness of women’s and girl’s rights.

Plan has now teamed up with leading skincare company NIVEA to work towards transforming the lives of girls with no access to education. A top presenter from one of the UK’s most popular radio stations, Kiss FM Radio, recently took a trip to Ghana to experience firsthand what Plan is doing to help girls in West Africa as part of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign.

Clara Amfo, Kiss FM’s Saturday morning show presenter, travelled to Ghana with NIVEA as part of their 'Feel Closer' campaign. Clara went to explore the barriers to education for girls in the country. “My parents are from Ghana, so having the chance to go there in this capacity meant a lot to me,” Clara said. “It was great to see the difference this campaign is making to the lives of so many girls out there. I was thrilled to be able to get involved.”

Plan has been encouraging children to use local radio stations to raise awareness of the discrimination against girls, and to draw attention to the challenges that affect both girls and boys. This allows the children to get involved in making a difference in their communities, and gives them a place where they can talk to one another about their own experiences, or ideas on how to put an end to gender inequality.
“It was inspiring to get a sense of the role the radio is playing in their lives, and how it’s being used to help with a range of issues,” Clara said.

Plan is also working hard to put an end to child marriage, sexual violence against children and female genital mutilation as part of the campaign. All these issues affect the lives of children across West Africa and addressing them can help children to realise their rights and have the confidence to speak up when something happens to them or to someone in their communities.

Plan continues to work across the world as part of the ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign, working towards universal education, children’s rights and helping to put an end to gender inequality.

Take a look at Kiss FM's time in Ghana with Plan

Read more about Plan's Because I am a Girl Campaign

Children taking part in the workshop for violence against children

October 17, 2011: As part of the Violence Against Children project in West Africa, a 5 day workshop was organised by Plan Ghana and partners for children and youth group members from 7 regions across Ghana. It was aimed at training the participants in how to lead youth groups, forming the Children and Youth Advisory Board and introducing three important concepts:

• Group organisation
• Life skills
• Human and child rights

The participants discussed the need to form a network with one another to help put an end to violence against children. They arrived at the conclusion that child related policies were necessary and that these policies needed to be put into action to end violence against children.

Although any form of violence against children is wrong, the workshop took a strong focus on gender based violence. The participants looked at the definition of gender based abuse, its root causes and the different forms of violence affecting girls and women in their communities. The group decided that a need existed to reinforce women’s common rights, putting them into action across West Africa.

What’s next

After the great success of this workshop, the newly-formed Children and Youth Advisory Board has been asked to help the UN’s Violence Against Children project in tackling the issues of violence within their societies and being able to participate fully in the decision-making on issues concerning children in their communities. Group meetings are underway between various board members across West Africa, sharing ideas and effective solutions on how to deal with cases of violence.

Role plays and theatre club productions are being created to raise awareness about the issue and the need to stop violence against children. Social media is also being used to show communities through images and videos that violence against children is wrong. Children are now willing to share their thoughts, and feel confident to affect change in their own lives. Local television and radio stations are also creating programmes where young people can share their experiences and opinions.

Getting children involved

Getting the youth of today involved in putting an end to violence against children is important on both a personal and public level for the participants.  Encouraging children to share their own experiences and support other children who are too scared to speak up, to realise that violence against them is wrong is a critical step in the overall success. Fatima, 18, a participant of the workshop says, “Children should also be allowed to take up major roles in fighting violence against children. For instance, child related documents should be presented into a more child friendly versions for better understanding of children; and child friendly atmosphere should be created for victims of abuse to be able to report violent cases”.

Street children share their experiences and opinions with Plan Ghana Child Ambassadors

6 June 2011: On 25th April Plan Ghana together with Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) organized an event for street children to talk about streetism, its causes, effects and solutions. Plan Ghana child ambassadors met with 30 street children to discuss the issue and how they could work together to put a stop to it.

Streetism is a term used to describe children who are forced to spend most of their time outside their homes, engaging in menial income generating activities in order to survive. The children come from rural areas or the town, seeking refuge and survival. Sadly, they often live on the streets, struggling to find meals and a safe place to sleep each night.

Why the street?

What causes children to take to the streets? According to the2009 Consortium for Street Children census of street children in Accra, Ghana’s capital city there were:

• 21,140 street children
• 6 000 street babies
• 7,170 street ‘mothers’ under the age of 20 
• 14,050 urban poor children (most likely at high risk of coming to the street)
  

In the discussions, the street children identified the leading causes of streetism as poverty, parental neglect and broken homes. Additional reasons were lack of proper affirmation of rules, child disobedience, peer group influence, wars and conflicts. In many cases, children who were sent to relatives when their parents could no longer care for them went to the street instead.

Life for street children is dangerous. The street children shared the risks they face daily with the conference participants: teenage pregnancy, social vices, deprivation of the right to education, increasing number of street children, and health problems. One participant said, “life on the street has stolen my dreams from me.”

The social services designed to assist children at risk and the support systems provided by the government and NGO community fail to reach many of the children on the street.  The growing number of children on the street has put greater pressure on the overloaded systems. Illiteracy rates are on the rise and future development at risk.

Recognizing the problem is the first step

Conference participants enjoy a snack break during long difficult discussions

Plan Ghana and SCEF organized this conference to bring children together and start a dialogue on streetism, its causes and effects. Giving the street children an opportunity to speak peer-to-peer provided depth and insight to the issues. The Plan Ghana Child Ambassadors listened and helped to brainstorm possible solutions to end streetism.

It was decided that first and foremost, parents should take care of their children and provide them their basic needs. Government and NGOs should encourage parents to send their children to school and encourage children to report cases of abuses. Everyone, government, NGOs, families must work together to end streetism. Policies must be amended to provide support. Programmes must be implemented to help street children return to their families or develop skills to become productive and healthy members of society through education and outreach.

Communication opens eyes and doors

The new level of understanding between the children developed at the conference will ripple throughout the Plan Ghana organization. As the children participate in the development of new programmes, they will do so with an eye to the street and how they can help their new friends live safer lives.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana.

Doris Ofori speaking on the High Level Panel on Child Rights

Between 6 to 7 December 2010 in Brussels, about 7 000 people attended European Development Days- an annual forum for deciding EU’s future approach to tackling poverty worldwide. The officials discussed how to more efficiently and effectively deliver aid and address issues such as food security, water, health, education, human rights, gender equality, democracy, good governance, and economic and social growth.

During this year's forum the European Parliament also focused on the special needs of the world's least developed countries and invited Doris Ofori, a youth speaker from the VAC Forum to speak on the High Level Panel on Child Rights.

Doris’ testimony

Doris is an active member of children’s group involved in budget advocacy- “Right of Children” and as a representative of Plan International came to the EU with Plan staff to represent Ghana.

At the event she was talking about gender discrimination and about her own personal experiences working at home while her brothers and other boys from the local community were going to school to get an education.

“There is nothing wrong when the boys don’t perform well at school, because they are boys but girls are victims of school drop- out and they are not allowed to express what they think,” says 15-year-old Doris.

Coming from the western part of Ghana and living in a community with her parents and 7 siblings, 5 of them boys, Doris quickly understood the importance of education and equality between boys and girls.

During the forum, participants also discussed how to promote gender equality

“The government has to give girls the chance to develop their talent. A girl can be a role model in her community. Girls shape a higher policy in the country and aspire to higher goals. Educating women is almost a certain guarantee that knowledge is passed on. Mothers pass their knowledge to their children, it starts from cooking vegetables to the nation’s history; from generation to generation,” explained Doris and concluded with the famous quote of Robert M. Maciver, a former president of the American Sociologist Association, “When you educate a man, you educate an individual. When you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”

Advocating for children’s rights

Doris’ testimony was used for a report on CNN's World View programme. Also, being a member of Plan International Doris attended a conference on gender equality.

In order to support Doris’ cause and that of millions of girls like her, the officials discussed how to combat poverty through promoting gender equality and discussed the countries’ efforts at achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals, which have set global targets for reducing poverty by 2015.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana.

Due to his development assistance to the community of Chansa, Plan Ghana's Country Director was adorned with a smock and a hat

3 March 2011: Chansa community is situated in Plan’s Wa Programme Unit in the Upper West region of Ghana, one of Plan’s newer program areas in Ghana. Since 2004, Plan Ghana supported local community through a variety of educational, health and sanitation programmes.

Amongst the biggest achievements in the region were:

• the support to pre-school education
• scholarships for poorest children to ensure their school continuation
• free healthcare for most vulnerable community members
• improvement of school sanitation
• promotion of open defecation free communities  
• promotion of Universal Birth Registration

Communities acknowledge impact: Chansa rewards for Plan Ghana

On 8th February, the community of Chansa in Wa municipality expressed their gratitude for the successful partnership with Plan and honoured Plan Ghana’s Country Director, Samuel Paulos, as “Development Chief” of Chansa community.

“We honour Samuel as thanks to him and Plan, since 2004, we managed to improve educational and health conditions for our people, we introduced Village Savings and Loans Scheme and we promote children’s rights in the community,” said Adamu Erasung, a spokesperson of Chansa community.

“During my work in Plan I always remember about people from Chansa community and their aspirations for development. We, Plan Ghana, support your community and care for all development interventions,” concluded Samuel, who at the end of the ceremony was adorned with a smock and a hat to portray him as Development Chief.

“My friends and I always want to go to school because of our play equipment. It is now interesting to stay in school,” said 7-year-old Salamatu from Chansa community.

“I now know of the importance of always washing my hands any time I use the toilet and also before and after eating,” said Latifa, an 11-year-old girl, from Chansa community.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana.

Plan Ghana Country Drector Samuel Paulos receiving an award

9 December 2010: On Saturday, December 4th, Plan Ghana received the most prestigious award of the Nation- the Millennium Excellence Award for its contribution on Grassroots and Rural Development. Among the 29 recipients selected this year, Plan was called first to receive the award in the presence of his Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, high-level government delegations, diplomatic missions, internationally recognized personalities and achievers.

“I am receiving this award on behalf of the communities, our partners and of course the children. This award is a motivation for us to work hard in the coming years. I am glad to see that the work of Plan Ghana has been appreciated and formally recognized internationally,” said Plan Ghana Country Director Samuel Paulos. “For our donors this proves that their investment in Plan Ghana has made a positive impact in the lives of children.”

Why Plan?

Plan was rewarded for its work at the community level, improving the general well being of children and communities in Ghana since 1992. In Ghana, 300 communities with 28,379 children across the country benefit from Plan’s programmes ensuring that the rights of the child are respected in the areas of quality education, better health, food security and creating awareness of child rights. To date, Plan has contributed to boosting school enrollment rates from 60% to 95% (2004-2008), reducing malnutrition among preschool children from 34% (2003) to 17% (2008) and the birth registration for children increased from 17% (2003) to 62% (2008).

Plan not only supports children and promotes child participation but also cares for whole communities providing insecticide-treated nets and access to drinking water and sanitation; and supporting Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) to help villagers become financially independent.

About the Millennium Excellence Award

The awarded participants posing for a commemorative photo

Since 2000, the Millennium Excellence Award recognizes and rewards individuals and institutions that have contributed positively to the African development and are helping to make the lives of Ghanaians and Africans a better one. Given every five years, it is one of the highest honors awarded in Ghana.

Joining Plan as 2010 recipients:  Desmond Tutu, for Eradication of Poverty; Asha Hagi(Somali) for African Peace; Ismael Sergeldin (Egyptian) for Scientific Research; Amaechi Ndili (Nigerian) for entrepreneurial Excellence; Wole Soyinka, (Nigerian) for African Cultural and Traditional Preservation; Sir Dr. Chief Gabriel Igbinedion ( Nigerian) for Leadership in African Chieftancy; Cyril Ramaphosa (South African) for African Economic Development; Lord Paul Boateng (Ghanaian- former UK MP) for action for Africa; James Wolfensohn (British) for Sustainable Development in Africa; Muammar Al- Ghadafi (Libian) for African Unity; Al Gore (former American vice president) for Climate Change; and Bill Gates.

Read more about Plan’s work in Ghana.

Abigail stressed the need to work with children in order to combat the violence

26 March 2010: Abigail, aged 17, has spoken out against violence against children at the Human Rights Council’s Annual Day of the Rights of the Child (ROC) in Geneva, which this year focused on sexual violence against children.

According to World Health Organization estimates, 150 million girls and 73 million boys have suffered from rape or other forms of sexual violence, including exploitation.

In her statement, Abigail pointed out the consequences of sexual violence against children in schools, especially for girls, and stressed the need to work with children themselves to help combat the violence.

Stigmatisation

“The main perpetrators of sexual violence against children in schools are people who are responsible for our upbringing, such as teachers, older relatives, parents and our own peers.”

Abigail continued: “Victims are often reluctant to report sexual violence because of a sense of stigmatisation, lack of confidence that schools will take action, and limited willingness to confide in teachers for fear or reprisals…even parents do not necessarily disapprove of sexual relations between pupils and teachers.”

Sexual violence against children in schools increases children’s risk not only of failing their studies, but also of suffering physical injury, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, and psychological harm.

Raising awareness

But Plan’s Violence Against Children (VAC) project in West Africa, launched in 2008, helps young people raise awareness about the issues of violence they face in their lives.

Abigail is a member of Plan’s VAC project, and is a child ambassador for the ROC youth group, with members aged 12-18, in Ghana’s central region. The group works around different issues children face, such as sexual abuse, child trafficking and corporal punishment.

She is one of over 200 youths and children in West Africa that have received training to advocate on issues of violence against children.

Sharing experiences

When she was asked about the challenges her ROC group faces, she said: We don’t have enough funds for us to transmit the programme to other communities nearby.”

“I’m going to share my experience with my youth group in Ghana and we are going to use this experience to work on our project.”

“My hope for the future is…a society in which children’s rights and dignity are highly respected.”

Watch a webcast of Abigail’s address to the HRC

Read more about Abigail and Plan's participation at the HRC event

The children from Ghana spoke about their rights as children at the conference in New York

15 October 2009: 2 Children from Plan Ghana played key roles at the UN General Assembly discussions on child participation in New York. They were part of West Africa’s ‘Violence Against Children’ project, and have received advocacy training, helping them to help other children participate. 

In 2009, the General Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child was focused on “the right of the child to express his or her views freely in all matters affecting him or her” – in other words, child participation. 

Plan has been working with War Child Holland, Save the Children and UNICEF to inform key decision makers, partners, children of all ages and governments about the importance of children’s participation. 

So this year’s event aimed to increase understanding of children’s participation by involving them: the main part of the presentation was delivered by 2 children from Plan Ghana programmes, with the support of their peers from other Plan programmes around the globe.

Child participation is key

They introduced their speech, made recommendations and had the opportunity to ask the audience questions on child participation. The children also talked about their own experiences working with Plan Ghana, such as their rights clubs and communities. The adult participants commended the children on their contribution.

One child said: “We have had the opportunity to share with the other children and adults about why it is important to listen to and consider the views of children when taking decisions that concern them.

“We plan to share this experience with our brothers and sisters in our children’s rights club and our friends at school.” 

Meeting the Special Representative on violence against children

The event was also an opportunity for the children to meet Ms Marta Païs, the Secretary General’s newly appointed Special Representative on Violence Against Children (VAC).
 
She expressed that she would keep in touch with the VAC group in West Africa, and that she hopes she will be in the position of helping and supporting children initiatives to end violence against children and make them heard in society.

Find out more about Plan's work in Ghana