Cape Coast, May 1, GNA - Mr Bright Kweku Appiah, Executive Director of Child's Rights International (CRI) on Thursday said parents had the duty to empower and protect the dignity of their children to enable them contribute meaningfully to the country's development.

He said it was the desire of every Ghanaian parent to have children of good character, responsible and trustworthy. "This could only be achieved through quality education and protection of the children's human rights," he added.

Mr Appiah said this at the award and inauguration of mentor-beneficiary partnerships for four needy girls in Kakumdo a suburb of Cape Coast under the Imani Project.

It was under the theme "Facilitating Quality Formal Girl-child Education Community Growth and Development".

The beneficiaries were, Florence Aidoo, Jennifer Asmaba Kwafo, Eunice Simons and Zinnia Awo Haizel of Kakumdo District Assembly JHS.

They signed a memorandum of understanding with their mentors and were each presented with a set of books and a cash of GH¢150.

The "Imani Project in Swahili means Faith" was initiated by 1981 year group of Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast to provide educational and psycho-social support for four selected girls when they enter junior high school until they complete tertiary institution. Mr Appiah pointed out that the child could not survive in the fast globalizing and sophisticated world without quality education.

"The reality is that some of us have survived today because we were given education. Let us not forget that the position we occupy today in society is not because of our age, race, ethnicity or gender but because we enjoyed quality education," he said.

Mr Appiah appealed to the chiefs and people of Kakumdo not to use the assistance being provided to shirk their responsibilities as parents but rather instil discipline and contribute meaningfully to make the project holistic.

Mr Appiah noted that since CRI begun working in Kakumdo, no child in the area qualified to enter Wesley Girls Senior High School and appealed to the authorities to ensure that through Imani Project some of the girls would be admitted to the school.

Mrs Betty Djokoto, Headmistress of the school who underscored the importance of girl-child education in the socio-economic development of the nation commended the 1981 Year Group for their gesture that would enable more girls from Kakumdo community to acquire higher education. She said apart from using the school's CRI clubs as mentors for girls in the community it also assisted in the building of a Methodist Church.

Mrs Djokoto said about GH¢150,000 had so far been spent on the project and gave the assurance that it would be completed on schedule. Mrs Yaa Peprah Amekudzi, Imani Project Co-ordinator, said their goal was to reach out to the people of Kakumdo and together implement a comprehensive programme on ensuring its growth and development through quality girl-child education between 2007- 2018.

She said they had therefore committed themselves to mobilize resources to address the education and psycho-social needs of girls of Kakumdo for 11 years and the total project budget is GHC51,060 Mrs Amekudzi said during the project period their commitment would be to provide support to the beneficiary girls and their families to enhance the opportunities available to them.