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MoGCSP joins Global Community to observe International Day for Street Children
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), through the Department of Social Welfare, in collaboration with Cherish a Child Foundation, joined the global community to commemorate the International Day for Street Children under the theme, “Protect, Not Punish.”
The event highlighted the urgent need to shift societal and institutional responses toward street children from criminalisation to protection, care, and inclusion.
In an address delivered on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Chairperson of the event, Dr. Prince Boamah Abrah, emphasised that street children are among the most vulnerable in society and deserve compassion, not condemnation.
He noted that many of these children are driven to the streets by factors such as poverty, neglect, abuse, and limited access to basic social services.
According to him, the theme calls for a fundamental shift in mindset—from criminalising vulnerability to protecting dignity, and from neglecting needs to restoring hope.
Dr. Prince Boamah Abrah stressed that the government, through programmes such as LEAP and the School Feeding Programme, supports vulnerable households to reduce the economic pressures that push children onto the streets.
He called on all to choose compassion over indifference and protection over punishment in order to save children living on the streets.
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Dr. Marian W. A. Kpakpah, a Principal Programmes Officer from the Department of Children, Madam Angela Kangah, stated that justice means creating systems that listen to children and respond to their needs rather than punishing them for their poverty.
“In doing so, we are choosing to invest in a brighter future for the entire country,” she added.
Delivering a goodwill message at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Cherish a Child Foundation, Madam Salome Delali, emphasised that street children are not criminals. They are victims of circumstance who need protection and support to rebuild their lives. She called for stronger collaboration among various institutions to successfully help remove children from the streets.
A moving segment of the programme featured testimonies from Nicholas Mawunyo, a street-connected child who shared his daily struggles and aspirations. His voice reinforced the central message of the theme—urging society to see street children as children in need of care rather than punishment.
The commemoration ended with a collective call to action for all stakeholders to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable children and ensure that no child is left behind.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
