General News of Saturday, 11 May 2013

Source: Joy Online

Children of alleged witches forced to withdraw from school

Children of alleged witches in Ghani witches camp in Yendi in the Northern region are appealing to government to establish an alternative school in their community to save them from the constant stigmatisation they suffer in the hands of their classmates.

The children say they are always humiliated by some classmates who do not want to sit by them or shake hands with them.

There are 254 alleged witches in Ghani witches camp with 156 school children. Wumbei Dasmond and Abraham Wumpiri are Children of 64-year-old Fati Sibdo, an alleged witch at the Ghani witches camp in Yendi.

Esther Boateng, Regional Programmes Manager of Action Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation working for the sustainable reintegration of the alleged witches in Northern region, told Joy News that the stigmatisation of the children of the alleged witches by their colleagues in school, is compelling the children to withdraw from school.

“There is a school in this community where children of the alleged witches go to school, but unfortunately because of the stigmatisation they are unable to go to school. We are educating the youth of the area to be good ambassadors to educate their children to accept the alleged witches’ children,” she said.