SOS Children’s Villages and NCCE Strengthen Strategic Alliance

Strategic Partnership for Child Welfare

The SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) have formed a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the welfare of children across the country. This collaboration, formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), focuses on promoting child rights, improving civic education, and fostering sustainable community development.

The MoU was signed between Mr Alexander Mar Kekula, the National Director and Chief Executive of the SOS Children’s Villages, and Madam Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the NCCE, in Accra. This partnership aims to eradicate harmful practices and all forms of violence against children while amplifying civic education on child protection, welfare, and fundamental human rights.

Through this joint effort, the two organizations will work together to empower families and communities with the knowledge and resources needed to create safer, more nurturing environments for every child. The initiative is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and SOS Children’s Villages Norway.

A Five-Year Project Focused on Child Protection

SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana, funded by the Norwegian Government through Norad and SOS Children’s Villages in Norway, is implementing a five-year project titled “Protecting Children at Risk of Losing Parental Care.” This project is being carried out in the Greater Accra, Central, Bono East, and Volta regions through local partners.

The project's primary objectives include building stronger communities and district-level child protection structures, as well as strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and key partners to advocate for the prevention of child-family separation.

Mr Kekula, who has been leading the organization in Ghana for over 51 years, emphasized the goal of ensuring that every child has a parent and that no child should grow up alone. He mentioned that the organization is currently working with over 12,000 children from the south to the north of the country, ensuring they remain in the safety net and continue their education.

“We have been working with thousands of children who have grown up to be young men and women,” he said. “That’s why we want to learn and work with the NCCE. Through your vehicle, we can reach a lot more families with messages so that children are protected. Children do not have to come on the street because of what is happening in their homes.”

Importance of Community Involvement

Madam Addy highlighted the significance of the MoU in safeguarding the welfare of children. She noted that the protection of children would always be precarious if the state and the community did not get involved.

She pointed out current challenges such as an increase in teenage pregnancy, which exposes children to defilement, abuse, and other risks. Additionally, she mentioned recent cases where there is a lack of safe spaces for children in schools, with some individuals supposed to protect them engaging in abusive behavior.

“Children’s issues are very important. And as a country, children are the future. Children are the ones who inherit what we have now and hopefully build on it,” she said.

Madam Addy emphasized that if society does not support children, secure them, and provide a safe space for them to grow and thrive, the very existence of the state would be under threat.

“So the whole idea here is to work together to secure children, to make sure that they are safe wherever they are, safe from abuse, safe from physical violence, and that they are able to exist in a space where they are free to achieve their full potential.”

A Shared Vision for Child Rights

Madam Addy reiterated that the collaboration aligns with the mandate of the NCCE. She stated that collaborations and partnerships are essential for the commission's success.

“And so, we are very happy to be a part of it. For us at NCCE, collaborations and partnerships are the bedrock or the key foundation for our success,” she said.