Dream, Engage, Hold-A-Hand, Inspire!

I found myself in Kodwo Brumpon’s car after a call heading for a school in Sakumono…Interesting, I had only heard about this great guy and his initiative in just a day from my very good friend Afiyo. what moved me- his concept was unique and was one i could relate to so much… As I grew i needed someone i could look to for words of encouragement and nurturing- YES I DID! Sad i had very few who gave me little time… what if it was consistent? what if I was empowered earlier to understand that challenges were merely tests to prepare you for higher tasks and more…

Volunteering with Hold a Hand

Hold-a-hand is a structured (school based) mentoring programme to connect our nation’s young person’s with responsible and caring adults (mentors), who will listen to them, stand by them, inspire and guide them to bring out the best in them.

In an interview with Kodwo Brumpon, I gathered that…

“…We know there are huge numbers of young persons – JHS and SHS students – out there who do not have any positive role models in their lives. They need and they crave such mentors and role models to help them shape their world view positively. They need positive and supportive adults to serve as friends and role models. They need them to tell them about life; they need you to tell them about the whats, the whys and the hows.

And unless we take action – unless we stand up and step up and engage and inspire the young persons of our nation, there are a countless number of them who will never realize their full talent and potential. And to ensure that, we need to surround our children with adults who would make them hungry for the best things in life, touch their hearts and nourish their souls.”

A Volunteer takes a Pic with Proteges

“And so, every week during the school term, hold-a-hand sends adults into schools to engage and provide the younger generation with inspiration, friendship, and any kind of support that would build them up. Each adult spends a maximum on an hour in the classroom.

All we ask of any adult is to spend an hour in a classroom interacting and inspiring the younger generation to aspire for the highest heights. We want adults who go into the classroom to talk about subjects and issues that would help the young ones unearth, attain and fulfill their purpose in life. Their presence and words are what can change a young person’s perception of life. It can make a positive difference in not just the life of a young person, but also our nation. And in the process, they would be building and strengthening youth leadership skills.”

“We believe these adults can also help connect them with resources and structured activities to help build them up. Adult engagement with the young persons can make a real difference in their self-esteem, ability to communicate and decision-making skills.”

The objectives are to expose young persons to as many professions and opportunities as abounds in our society and to build and strengthen their social and leadership skills.

Natasha Mann-Dedey a volunteer Mentor pose for shot

Hold-A-Hand targets public schools… Any public school as long as they grant us permission to come in… Our present catchment areas are Sakumono, Lashibi, Klagoon, Nungua, Teshie and Mateheko; and any school we find along the way… They are usually named after the communities…

We believe the aspirations of the young ones change positively the more they interact with adults from different backgrounds… But more importantly, they see to need to actually strive to find solutions to challenges instead of simply wanting to pursue a certain profession…

Join in from anywhere… get in touch with Hold-a-hand,

MOB: +233206350734

e-mail: info@hold-a-hand.org

org website: hold-a-hand.org

I urge you to support Kodwo and his team in every way possible to sustain this initiative…

Go ahead- take that step- Dream, Engage, Inspire!

 

EDUCATION! EDUCATION! EDUCATION!

Education

I would start this blog item with a quote: “Educated people- Educate people”- Cecil Ato Kwamena Dadzie (Ghanabakwamena), 2010. Certainly, aside living, education is one of our basic rights to personal and societal well-being; it’s a means for knowledge transmission to generations and it goes a long way to enhance the potential contributions of individuals to national development.

I can’t talk of Education without making reference to MDG 2- Achieving universal primary education. Similarly, MDG 3- Promoting gender equality and empowering women. I believe Education is the best tool or way to reduce poverty, child labor, promote peace and development, empower a female, and even achieve the rest of the MDGs. Agree? Yes, every boy and girl child must be educated, but the quality of education is indeed questionable, esp. ‘public education’. The quality of education determines how sharp the skills and attitudes of people will be in future. The foundation, Early Childhood Care and Development, if not strong may bring down years of hard-work and input by other teachers along the way.

It is sad yet bad to know that around Ghana, over seventy-five (75) schools still hold classes under trees; we can’t let this be-never. Others fortunate to be sheltered lack books, at times teachers, teaching aids and vital learning tools that would make learning attractive, comfortable and easy to understand- these are few of the numerous factors that drive children away from school, aside poverty. Even that is no excuse to starve the brains of your child- basic education is free and compulsory. Teachers will surely reject postings to rural areas if the environment doesn’t look appealing- no electricity, water hard to come by, accommodation and incentives etc.

It is obvious therefore that, I call on us all once again to serve as checks of our society. Secondly, we all make up the ‘government’ and have roles to play in achieving every single goal of the MDGs. Again, the best investment a nation can make is in its children and education- lets build more schools in communities and encourage schooling by all people esp. children, so they can educate others when they grow. At the same time attention must be given to teachers- we need them!

 

 

 

CAN CHILD LABOUR EVER BE STOPPED?

Yes, why would Children like Malik and Ayisha (all below age 10) be out of school and into labor that makes them not benefit from any school activity, puts their health and proper development at risk? Poverty still remains the number one cause of many of the world’s problems esp. Child Labor. MDG 1 proves it- eradicate extreme poverty? But even so, hasn’t poverty being around for long? Must we always point fingers at poverty when deny many children the right to education?

Socio- cultural misconceptions have also played a major role in putting kids like Malik and Ayisha in the state they are-out of school and as ‘Child-Adults’ fending for themselves and their families too, exposed to all sorts of Immoral act. One may argue by saying “isn’t it money the children put in school want to make? Why don’t they start now?” to them I say “Shame! When did it become the Childs responsibility to cater for the family?” again, “Don’t you know your ward can make more money after completing school? Don’t you know children have every right to be educated- learn much as their capabilities allow and share their knowledge and experience with others?” Lack of education on the part of some parents and community leaders also give way for the cankers’ occurrence, how? Educated people- Educate people; hope it’s clear enough to win you to my side of the argument. Let me ask you this question: “Wouldn’t institutional weakness in application of Laws against cankers such as Child labor encourage the menace?” okay, “and how can an under resourced institution be in a better position to fight such a canker?” You and I are partly to blame for this, know why? We have done virtually nothing to contribute to the halting of this menace, how much noise have we made about it, to whom and where? Till it stops, we must not keep mute- even if there’s a child left in labor!

It is sad many of these children repeat the act by sometimes involving other children if not theirs in the near future in Child labor- vicious cycle. Again it sure retards our progress as a nation and the world at large because we may end up not achieving MDG 1 and 2 which talks of eradicate extreme poverty and achieving universal basic/primary education, respectively, all by 2015? We are all involved, MDG 8 clearly states that fact, and it will take partnership at all levels to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) esp. at the Rural, National and Global levels! And guess what? We nag ourselves about high unemployment rates, forgetting that the jobs able-bodied grown folks would do are currently is the hands of children- endangering their un-fit for job bodies.

Like it or love it, we must all realize that Child labor is illegal and contravenes the laws of every country in the world. It’s also an infringement on the rights of the child (Survival, Development, Protection and Participation). Children who aren’t properly equipped get injured. It has a negative impact on the child- morally and psychologically.

I would like to remind us all that they have been interventions: ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ILO Convention 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL), Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) and Children’s Act 560 and many other legislative instruments worldwide.

I believe we can do more. What? Sensitization to promote attitudinal and behavioral change also -lets walk the talk by enforcing our laws, let’s strengthen Social Welfare Departments with qualified and dedicated staff, resources and many more to help them function as an Institution. Indeed ignorance of the law is no excuse; nevertheless, the laws must be made known! We can better fight this canker if we work together by strengthening collaborations between agencies that work to protect children’s rights to combat the worst forms of child labor. Build schools in labor prone areas and encourage every child to be in school and parent to get their children in school. Commitment of all; You and I, Parents, Leaders and children will help make this world a child labor free place.