AfriKids Ghana, a Child Rights Organization, has provided economic empowerment and livelihood support to 55 street children in the Bolgatanga Municipality to help cater for their educational needs.

The support valued at GHC13,000.00, comprised goats for rearing, provision of skills training in soap making and straw for basket weaving.

Each parent of 50 beneficiary children received two nannies ie female goats, to be reared on behalf of their children while three parents would be trained in soap making and be supported to make soap in commercial quantities for sale.

The two other parents would be trained in basket weaving and supplied with straw to enable them weave quality baskets that would meet international standards and attract high markets.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga on Thursday, Mr Raymond Ayinne, the External Affairs Manager of AfriKids Ghana, said the support had funding from AfriKids United Kingdom and sought to support hard working former street children.

He said the parents had received training from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on how to care for the goats to ensure they reproduced and become economic investment for the children.

“It is expected to empower the parents economically to enable them fend for their wards particularly their educational and health needs”.

He cautioned them against using the goats for other purposes such as funerals and other functions instead of the education and health needs of the children.

He said the current beneficiaries were extremely vulnerable children who underwent literacy and numeracy training for nine months through ‘AfriKids School of Night Rabbits’ and graduated in October, 2019, and had since been transitioned into the formal educational system.

“AfriKids Ghana has over the years with support from EMpower, a UK based charity organization, been working in the Region to support street
children to return to their families and schools through intensive literacy and numeracy tuition and apart from the 55 children who were mainstreamed into the formal school system this year, 10 others were trained in technical and vocational skills”.

He said the Child Rights organization in 2018 mainstreamed 98 street children into the formal education system and they were currently undertaking lessons in various schools in the Municipality.

Mr Ayinne said AfriKids Ghana also supported 98 children with goats last year and they were doing well.

He said the overall aim of the project was to reunite street children with families and provide an alternative source of livelihood for them and their families as well as secure a good future for the children through education and technical and vocational training.

The Parents and their children expressed gratitude to AfriKids Ghana and its partners for the support over the years and pledged to put the support into purposeful use to benefit the children.

Mrs Sandra Asanima, a parent of one of the beneficiary children indicated that the goats would strictly be used to cater for health and educational needs of her ward and promised to make a good structure to house the goats.