ANALYSES OF THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THE PROJECT(CADIF GHANA) INTENDS TO ADDRESS
Problem 1: Child Sexual abuse and exploitation
Based on a little research by ACN registered Office in Ghana, there is significant evidence that child sexual abuse and exploitation is a rising problem in Ghana. Records of the Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Police Service indicate that every year quite a number of children and adolescents go through series of sexual abuses. The commonest forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation that gets to the attention of DOVVSU include unnatural carnal knowledge, defilement, rape, incest, indecent assault among other forms of child sexual abuse.
There is not much statistical data available on child Sexual abuse and exploitation incidences in Ghana even though evidence abounds that it is gaining grounds in the country. Some of the major causes of child sexual abuse in Ghana are lack of parental support which stems from poverty, broken marriages and parental irresponsibility and peer pressure. There’s also a range of child sexual abuse offense including forced marriage, procurement, causing or encouraging the seduction or prostitution of a child under 16, which are also on the rise in all regions of the country. In most rural areas of the Northern region of Ghana, studies of ACN officials shows that children as little as 10 years old are forced into marriages by their parents as a result of extreme poverty, some are trafficked to the big cities of Ghana and neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and beyond. During this trafficking period, almost all of this children are sexual abused and exploited. When they arrive at their smuggled destinations, the adolescent ones are forced into secret prostitution and the very little ones are forced into child labor working excessively for their Criminal pay masters. There are similar criminal activities happening in all the 10 regions of Ghana as evidence shows that its currently on the rise. Africa Compassion Network (ACN) with it’s Branch in Ghana will work tirelessly to end this criminal activity of child sex abuse and exploitation.
Problem 2: Street Children.
The phenomenon of street children is a growing concern in many developing countries, particularly in Africa. Ghana is no exception to the general trend of children fending for themselves on the streets. However, very little is known about this unique population in Ghana. This brief study by ACN staff provides a general overview of the phenomenon of street children in Ghana. This research particularly examines the experiences of street children in Ghana, how they ended up in the streets, how they survive in the streets, and abuses they suffer from being in the streets. This was only conducted in Accra, the capital. ACN is yet to conduct more studies in the other regions as well. The condition of children living and working on the streets of most urban areas in Ghana has assumed problematic dimensions because many people are beginning to identify with the situation as needing an urgent and pragmatic attention. Unfortunately, the realization of the problematic nature of the street children phenomenon has not corresponded with an aggressive response from governments to deal with the problem, its why ACN is willing to intervene.
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSES
The government of Ghana has taken some very important steps to fight child sexual abuse and exploitation which includes passage and strengthening of the legislative environment, intensification of public education through the media, identification, counseling, livelihood skills training and reintegration.
Government Institutions or Main Stakeholders ACN intends to collaborate with in addressing this national crisis are:
1. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS SUPPORT UNIT (DOVVSU)
2. MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN AFFAIRS (MOWAC)
3. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE (DSW)