General News of Tuesday, 12 June 2007

Source: GNA

Ghana to host international children exposition

Accra, June 12, GNA - Ghana is to host an international exposition aimed at promoting major issues affecting the welfare and future of children as well as educational and formative products and services from June 29 to July 2nd this year.

The EXPO on the general theme; "Building a better future for all children," would feature inter-schools quiz competition, seminar on positive parenting, family fun festival, whilst there would be an exhibition of playing equipment, books and stationery, health and drugs, clothes and other products.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, to commemorate the Worlds International Day of the Child, Mr George Sackey, Jnr., President of "e-toys and more Ghana," organizers of the EXPO urged parents to consider an investment in children as security for the future.

He explained that, "there was more to parenting children than laying down God-honouring rules, and trying to enforce them and doing your best to keep the line of communication open."

Mr. Sackey noted: "The task of shaping a child's life is a very personal and painstaking one, which goes beyond what you say or do to draw upon who you are inside...how well you deal with the things he or she is facing."

He said the EXPO would offer the opportunity to parents, teachers, Sunday school teachers and all others who work with children to learn how to cope with challenges of building the life of a child.

Speaking at the official launch in Accra, Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children Affairs pledged governments support for the promotion of the welfare of children.

She outlined numerous governmental initiatives aimed at protecting the child, which included the abolition of child trafficking and ratification of United Nations Convention on child labour.

Hajia Mahama also noted that the right of the child is also protected in the 1992 Constitution and stressed that government would continue to implement a number of programmes in collaboration with other stakeholders to promote the welfare of children.

She said the Ministry had since December 2005, organized dissemination workshops throughout the country for all stakeholders on their roles in the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.

The Minister commended e-toys and more main organizers of the EXPO and its collaborators including; Ghana Leasing Company, Africaonline, Nestle Ghana limited, Unimax Macmillian, Coca Cola, Fan Milk, Foreign education Consultants, and the media.

Hajia Mahama urged parents to take advantage of the fair "to learn new ways of parenting, especially in today's challenging world to offer our future leaders a solid foundation."