Report on the launch of Rescue Anti-Child Marriage program.

Report on the launch of Rescue Anti-Child Marriage program held at Cool Gardens Hotel, Dakuman on Saturday 23^rd March 2019.

Introduction:

Rescue Volunteers in collaboration with music artists and various Zongo community leaders in Accra launched Anti-Child Marriage program in March 2019 with the objective to Campaign against the act and also put resources together to assist victims of Child marriage in northern zone of Ghana.

Participants were mainly from Ashaiman, Madina, and Dakuman.  Other guests were from the northern and north east regions.  NGOs with similar objectives and well wishers in Accra were also in attendance to support the program.

Background:

Rescue over the years have been receiving migrants from the northern zone of Ghana who are stranded in the Capital city in search of life’s basic needs; cloth shelter and food.  Most of the female migrants that visits Rescue for help happen to be victims of child marriage.  Some of these runaway girls find it difficult to go back home when we advise that with fear of being captured or their own family returning them to their ‘husbands’.  They rather prefer to face hardship in the cities than go back.

In order to help curb the problem Rescue Volunteers decided to attack it from the root by getting other NGOs with similar objective on board to run programs in the northern zone where most of the migrants hail from.  Programs and projects have been planned for the year 2019 and beyond.  For that matter, the launch becomes necessary to draw attention of Ghanaians to the challenge and also introduce our joint program to fight Child marriage which is dubbed Anti-Child Marriage program.

Opening

The program started at 3.30 pm with a prayer by Madam Alice, who was a foster mother for one of the Runaway child marriage victims when she got to Accra and situation became unbearable in the streets. 

Various artists performed songs to welcome all present.  Leaders of the various Zongo communities invited were introduced accordingly after which Patience Tani Awuni Rescue beneficiary gave the purpose of gathering as mentioned in the early paragraphs.  Mr. …, president of the Ghana Actors Guild chaired the function. 

Introduction of Rescue Anti-Child Marriage Program

Ms. Lydia Odai-Tettey, national coordinator of Rescue Volunteers gave a brief introduction of Rescue activities and explained what the Anti-Child Marriage program is all about.   

Challenges of Child Marriage Victims

Some of these girls that are unlucky and remain in this marriage after they are mostly kidnapped are so young that they are ignorant about everything marriage.  They face so many challenges; formal education halted, maternal issues ranging from pregnancy to child care, and poverty becomes their companion.  Those that escape to the cities are not free from challenges either. They are exposed to a lot of social vices both day and night since their first stop are one of these: lorry stations, open markets or the streets.

Ms. Odai-Tettey explained Rescue position on this.  She said it is necessary to assist these victims through a national program that introduces opportunity for the victims to live in a safe environment, learn a trade or engage in other economic ventures while campaigning against the act and guiding children and youth to stay away from child marriage and develop themselves.

Rescue Anti-Child Marriage Programs

Rescue plan for Anti-Child Marriage is advocacy and priority for victims under the self-development program.  The advocacy is in three folds;

• Empowering victims to champion community forums on child marriage;
• Durbar with chiefs, queen mothers and other community leaders to address child marriage; and
• TV and radio documentaries on child marriage after which funds will be raised to assist poor victims to better their living conditions.

Collaborated Activities

Rescue is in collaboration with other NGOs in the Northern zone of Ghana to run programs at schools and communities that the practice is rampant.  Some of the programs explained at the launch are targeting victims of child marriage for necessary support to manage the various situations they have been put in by the early marriage.  The activities were announced to differ from community to the other since victims in different communities face diverse challenges and have different cultural practices that play vital role in the solution of the problem.

Program Launch / Pledge of support

The chairman expressed his satisfaction to be associated with the program.  He valued the program as very important and a good initiative and pledged to support in all ways possible in his capacity.  Artists performed to raise funds for the program while invited guests also pledge their support in diverse ways to make the program a success.   

Conclusion

The program was duly launched as planned and infrastructural development program was scheduled to take off from June 2019 towards the end of the year.  NGOs and youth groups who pledged to be part of the program were announced and procedure for partnership was also announced to commence May 2019.