NGO empowers Mataheko D/A Basic ‘A’ pupils on Covid-19, human rights

Kandey Alhassan January 27, 2021 0

 

Staff pose for a picture

The headmaster of the Mataheko D /A Basic ‘A’ School, Mr. James Adamah has lauded the educative roles being played by various civil society groups and non-governmental organizations within schools in a bid to help end the new wave of the deadly coronavirus pandemic as part of the ‘back to school initiatives’ being rolled out across the country.

According to him, such initiatives are timely and above all steps in the right direction to bring about the needed change. 

“I’m really excited by your visit today and the detailed information you have given to the children which focused mainly on covid-19, the relevance of strict observance of the health protocols as well as the education on human rights”.

“I believe this would help the children to remain safe and also know their rights on how to behave in public and even in their various homes so that when anyone infringes they’ll know what to do”, he stressed.

Mr. Adamah said this while speaking on the sidelines of a sensitization exercise conducted by the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) Non-Governmental Organization with support of two Civil Society Organizations; the Renel Ghana and the Abibiman Foundation.

The exercise which took place at the Ningo Prampram District near Mataheko on Monday January 25, 2021 was on the theme: Recover and Revitalize Education for the Covid-19 Generation.

The pupils were enlightened on the global outcry of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic, it’s devastating effects on humans across the world and why the need for all to strictly observe the covid-19 health protocols to remain safe at all times. 

They were equally inspired with the education on human rights, its importance to the peoples of the world as well as introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its 30 articles which all humans ought to comply with.

Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Mr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor who engaged the students observed the story of ‘human rights’  is familiar but the importance of human rights is not fully understood hence the need for sensitization on human rights to enlighten the masses.

This, he said by knowing their rights, they can stand up for their rights and that of others too.  

In the end, the HRRG presented 21 copies of booklets containing information on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (companion booklets) with many individual rights illustrated for greater clarity and understanding to some selected pupils to aid them.

He indicated that the booklets were offered his outfit by the United for Human Rights (UHR), a US-based donor organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at every level of the society.

While commending the donor organization for the support which significantly aided the exercise, he equally appealed for more to assist the HRRG campaign team reach out to the entire Ghanaian population especially the school-going children with adequate supply of educational materials on human rights in order to help create a deeper education on human rights to bring about cultural change.

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) is an initiative of young Ghanaian journalists, editors, lawyers and human right activists who have come together to address human rights violations in Ghana to bring the country closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2019, they launched a nationwide sensitization campaign on Kidnapping Teenage Pregnancy and Tramadol Abuse as a response to the increasing incidents of kidnappings in Ghana. 

Since the roll out of the program in July 2019, the campaign team has managed to reach over 60,000 beneficiaries particularly school children, parents and youth groups in the communities and religious settings within three regions of Ghana.

The group’s dedication towards its activism roles with regards to protecting and ending rights abuses in Ghana and beyond has received wide  commendation from many individuals, organizations and institutions both within and outside Ghana.

 Joseph Kobla Wemakor