A Deputy Director of Programmes at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Miss Gladys M. Osman has told parents never to lock or hide children born with deformities.

She said hiding such unfortunate children would cause more harm to them than good children were gifts of God and must be accepted with love no matter their condition.

Miss Osman was speaking at a Training of Trainers Workshop on Civic Rights and Responsibilities of Women, the Youth and People with Disabilities relative to COVID-19 at Half Assini in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region.

The one-day workshop was under the theme “Civic Rights and Responsibilities of Women, Youth and PWDs relative to COVID-19 Pandemic” and funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Miss Osman told the participants that NCCE was there to work with them to find out how COVID-19 had negatively impacted on their rights, freedom, responsibilities and businesses in general and equip them with civic rights among others.

She said it would strengthen women, youth, PWDs and other marginalised groups to ensure their active participation in decision making to attain gender parity in the Sustainable Development Goals especially the GOAL 5.

The Deputy Director said the 1992 Constitution of Ghana protected all Ghanaians with no exceptions so all PWDs and children were equal and protected by it.

Dr Edward Ampratwum of UNDP also said the workshop would empower citizens, Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), women, and the youth to develop an interest in decision making to contribute to the development of their respective communities.

He said the impact of COVID-19 especially communities around the borders had experienced negative results in their businesses and way of life.

Dr Ampratwum said the NCCE was firmly on the ground to identify these vulnerable groups and partner them to obtain the SDGs to contribute to peace building in the country and beyond the borders of Ghana.

The Municipal Planning Officer at Jomoro, Mr. Samuel Obosu said the Municipal Assembly was seriously looking for financial support for the formal and informal sectors to boost their businesses because it (assembly) would gain if more businesses were operating well in the municipality.

A Deputy Director in charge of Research at NCCE, Dr Henrietta Asante Sarpong said the workshop was a collaboration programme between UNDP and NCCE basically to train trainers who would take the knowledge acquired to their communities and train others.

She said it was organised for special interest groups to build capacity to understand civic rights and responsibilities and enlighten them on how their civic rights had been affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic particularly how to work with the Assemblies.

She said the trainers would return to their various communities and organise similar trainings for their people .

FROM PETER GBAMBILA, TAKORADI.