Hot!
Worrying trend at Wromso: School children used as scarecrow on rice farms
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Children-are-being-used-as-scarescrow-1.jpg&description=Worrying trend at Wromso: School children used as scarecrow on rice farms', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Children-are-being-used-as-scarescrow-1.jpg&description=Worrying trend at Wromso: School children used as scarecrow on rice farms', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
Children are being used as scarescrow
School children in the Wromso community in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region are being used as scarecrow in the cultivation of rice in the area.
The children are used to drive away the crows from feeding on the rice.
They would never go to schoool until the rice starts tassling.
Apart from impacting negatively on education, the development has also compounded the issue of child labour in the community.
These came to light at a gathering of the Chiefs and people of Wromso to mark this year’s International Day Against Child Labour.
It was organised by Nature Aid Ghana in collaboration with the Asutifi South District Assembly under the theme, “Intensify Action Against Child Labour,Do It Fast, Do it Now”, with support from the DKA Austria.
According to the Head Teacher of the Wromso D/A Basic School, Mr Salifu Awuni, the situation was very disturbing as the children could stay away from school sometimes for three weeks or a month.
He said “This is affecting learning because by the time they return to school, about three topics have already been treated which they find difficult to catch up”.
According to Mr. Awuni the parents were ignorant of the concept of child-labour “because they feel that it is normal for the children to be part of the labour force”.
He called on stakeholders to intensify child-labour education in the community for the sake of the children’s bright future.
Mr. Matthew Ofosu Fosuhene, Head Teacher of the Wromso Junior High School also expressed similar concern and did not understand why children of school going age were being used for hunting and illegal gold mining, popularly called “galamsey” .
“Sometimes, we have to go round the community to chase school children from the farms and galamsey sites, all in the name of protecting their future, but it’s very difficult to get them to understand the concept of child-labour”.
Ms. Martha Irene Plange, Asutifi South District Director of Social Welfare, said her outfit had intensified education on child labour to enable parents appreciate education in the community as she took the gathering through the concept of child-labour.
The Chief of Wromso, Nana Essilfie Gyimah Dadieko III, commended the organisers of the meeting for shedding light on child labour which he said was a headache in the area.
He told the gathering how child-labour nearly affected the purchase of cocoa beans from Ghana at the international market, and pledged to support all stakeholders in the fight against the canker in the community.
The District Chief Executive, Robert Dwomoh Mensah,said that parents would give many reasons to justify child-labour “but the consequences will be very enormous”.
He appealed to the parents to see the importance of education, as he inaugurated a Community Child Protection Committee to monitor children of school going age to ensure they do not engage in forced labour.
Mr. Joseph Baradoe,Chief Executive Officer of Nature Aid Ghana, said efforts were being made to protect the rights of children in the community.
He said they had linked up with the District Assemblies and the Cocoa Licensed Buying Companies(LBCs) to get them appreciate the human rights of the children being used in forced labour and thanked the DKA Austria for funding the programme.
From Kingsley E.Hope, Wromso
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
