Children Believe, an international NGO, within its last financial year (April 2023 – March 2024), constructed nine Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across its operational zone to ensure strong educational foundation for children in the country.
Children Believe, during the period, also distributed 14,371 education materials to schoolchildren, 863 dual desks to schools and 243 round tables, and 1,474 chairs to kindergartens to ensure conducive learning environment for children.
Children Believe and its partners operate in 16 municipalities and districts in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
Mr Samuel Oppong Kwabiah, Programmes Manager, Children Believe, presented the figures as part of the organisation’s achievements during its Annual Programme Kick-off and Strategic Plan Consultation forum in Tamale.
It was attended by key stakeholders drawn from the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service from the five regions in the north, and partner organisations to take stock of the organisation’s (Children Believe) previous results, challenges, and opportunities, and make inputs into its new Strategic Plan.
Mr Kwabiah said in health and nutrition, the organisation established 20 ‘mother-to-mother’ clubs to support health, nutrition, breastfeeding, and other practices in communities to amongst others promote maternal and child health.
He said as part of the interventions, a total of 4,336 people comprising 1,595 males and 2,741 females including adolescents, received reproductive health or HIV and AIDS counseling or training whilst two water facilities were built for schools and 17 single sex sanitation facilities were also built and or restored at schools.
On livelihoods, he said the organisation trained 107 (24 males and 78 females) youth/women on market focused inclusive technical or vocational training for self-employment, whilst 381 village savings and loans associations had been formed and in operation with 8,614 members to promote a savings culture amongst them as well as ensure access to capital for their enterprises.
He said during the period, 466,000 children, teachers, caretakers, and parents benefited from greater access to inclusive, quality education, adding 254,300 community members benefited from access to maternal and child health care services.
Mr Kwabiah said for the next financial year (April 2024 to March 2025), the organisation had planned to construct four ECD centres at Yendi, Kumbungu, Sagnarigu and Builsa North Districts, and would also distribute 15,176 educational materials to 4, 766 schoolchildren at ECD, primary and junior high school levels.
He said 12,151 (5,910 males and 6,241 females) would be trained on antenatal care and neonatal care services whilst 20 mother clubs comprising 400 members would be established to support health, nutrition, breastfeeding, and other related practices.
Mrs Esenam Kavi De Souza, Country Director, Children Believe, said the organisation would double its reach, revenue and recognition within the next seven years assuring stakeholders that his outfit would continue to work with them on its new strategy.
Naab Francis Asangalisah (II), Chief of Chuchuliga in the Builsa North District, expressed appreciation to Children Believe for providing educational and water facilities in his area, and said they were positively impacting the lives of people, especially children in the area.
Madam Priscilla Walters, Head, Early Childhood Education, GES, expressed gratitude to Children Believe for its interventions in the ECD sector, saying they were helping to ensure strong educational foundation for children in the country.
Source: Ghana News Agency
