By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, Alexander Mar Kekula, has revealed that 110 teachers from 43 schools in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region have been equipped with skills and strategies to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
He noted that the initiative forms part of the organisation’s efforts to promote STEM education in the district. Mr Kekula made this known during the inauguration of a Community Child Protection Committee and a Child Rights Club in New Jejeti. The event was organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Community Development in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages Ghana.
The inauguration began with a float through the principal streets of New Jejeti, where pupils held placards with messages such as “Say no to child abuse and child labour,” “Say no to child neglect,” “Stop domestic abuse against children,” “It takes all hands to protect one child,” and “Stop drug abuse, it can harm you in the future.”
The event brought together traditional leaders, social welfare officials, parents, pupils, and young beneficiaries from New Jejeti Methodist, RC, and Presbyterian Basic Schools. The pupils also presented poetry recitals, choreography, and drama performances on child protection and rights to educate and entertain the audience.
During the programme, startup tools and business certificates were presented to young people in skills training, while schools received sanitary materials and hexagonal chairs for 108 pupils. Adult literacy students were also given rechargeable lamps to support their studies.
Mr Kekula highlighted that, through the organisation’s investment in inclusive education, SOS Children’s Villages Ghana has reached 285 teachers from 24 community schools, enabling them to support children of all abilities and ensure that no learner is left behind.
He stressed that the establishment of Child Protection Committees and Child Rights Clubs represents a practical, community-led approach to addressing challenges faced by children, rather than being merely symbolic.
The Head of the Social Welfare Unit in the Atiwa East District, Cynthia Klu, urged members of the committees and clubs to work diligently to promote and protect the rights of children in their communities.
