Ms Theresa Tagoe, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, on Tuesday called on civil society to assist the government to alleviate the plight of street and other deprived children who are faced with insecurity and isolation.
Speaking at a press conference to launch a fund-raising dinner in support of the Street Academy, an NGO devoted to education for street, needy and deprived children in Accra, she said the government is seeking funding for the extension of the free, compulsory universal basic education programme to the junior secondary school level.
This, she said, is aimed at curbing the high school dropout rate.
“Children are the most vulnerable in society and need to be given every attention and care,” she said.
Mr Ataa Lartey, Director and Founder of the Academy said the purpose of the fund raising dinner, scheduled for December 7 at the Accra International Conference Centre, is to solicit financial and other form of support for a new school building, a school bus and clothing for the over 200 children of the academy
The dinner forms part of the academy’s annual fund raising activities, which feature mainly musical concerts and thanksgiving services.
Foreign volunteers who teach in the school also bring donations from friends and philanthropists.
Mr Lartey said the over 200 children of the academy are in junior secondary schools and 17 others in senior secondary schools.
Mr Nick John Mills, Project Co-ordinator, said the academy’s location in the busy, commercial surroundings, is not conducive for teaching and learning.
He appealed to the public to assist in cash and kind to support the academy’s programmes.
