Health Alert has concluded a nationwide tour targeting twelve districts. The essence was to create dialogue forum for councils and children in order for the former to involve the latter in their agenda or plan Activities.
During the engagement in all the 12 districts, a position paper was presented to various councils by representative of the Children’s Forum Network CFN) at district level on issues affecting them and the challenges they faced as children in their respective district.
The presentation was done in the presence of Council Chairman, Councillors, Ward Committee members, media, children, council administrators, Development Planning Officers and Mayors, etc. In their presentations, the children highlighted issues related to educational system, health, and child protection.
On the area regarding education, the children pointed out that they lacked sufficient school learning materials, there were overcrowding in Schools, schools lacked furniture, high school charges and lack of trained and qualify teachers especially in the rural areas.
They said the issue of children having to work on long distance to access educational facilities had also undermined the system in that part of the country.
In the Health sector, they said most Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) did not have enough drugs and even the few they were supplied with were sometimes stolen. They added that most PHUs lacked water supply. They stressed that the few drugs available to hospital were very expensive and that the supply of electricity was also another burning issue.
In the area of child protection, the children expressed dissatisfaction at the rate of sexual violence especially in Koinadugu district. According to them, cases of child abuse were very prevalent, nothing that the law enforcement agencies paid little or no attention to bring perpetrators to book. They also highlighted the issue regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as another burning issue.
In their responses, the Chairmen and Mayors of various councils and cities welcome the initiative and described the initiative as ideals in the country’s history. They pledged to strongly include children not only in their annual plans but also in their aspects of lives, while others said the forum was an opportunity to disclose their plans which included the construction of VIP toilets, rehabilitation of water wells and award of scholarship to deserving pupils.
In his statement, the Koinadugu District Council Chairman, Sheku Samuel Kamara, informed this writer that his Council was a Child friendly one and that letters were now in circulation to all Ministries, Department and Agencies and International Non-Governmental Organisation that were working on child related issues to informed Councils on what their work plans were with regards to children issues.
At the end of meeting, children were given the opportunity to engage on radio discussions, geared toward their call for inclusion and participation in all aspects of development bothering on their welfare. The public was also allowed to make phone-calls and send text messages.
Health Alert is a civil Society Organisation that works towards promoting Health issues, Human Rights, good governance and child protection.
Thursday October 06, 2016