A campaign against the girl child migration in the Garu-Tempane District

Intervention for Development Foundation (INTERDEV-Ghana) is a non-profit community based organisation in Ghana that focuses on the development of the entire populace of communities. INTERDEV-Ghana is a young community based organisation that obtained its permit on the 5th March,2010 to contribute its quota to the advancement of the underprivileged, vulnerable and neglected in communities. We currently operate with a director, a field coordinator, three field workers, two information technology personnel’s and a secretary who are currently all working with the following objectives to achieve the mission of INTERDEV-Ghana.

The main objective of INTERDEV-Ghana is :
• To empower vulnerable and underprivileged folks in communities

The specific objectives are:
• To enable rural community members develop their potentials
• To curb rural-urban migration
• To liaise with Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, International Organisations, Stakeholders and Individuals to aid rural community development.
• To improve the small scale industries of especially female in the community.

Introduction
The girl child in the Garu-Tempane District of Northern Ghana tend to be the most deprived in education and exposure to knowledge and opportunities in the entire country due to fact that they live in the poorest area of Ghana. This has resulted in the flee of about 70% of these girls from their communities in search of greener pastures in Accra (Ghana’s capital), and other big cities like Kumasi and Sunyani. Many of these girls abandon their education with the view of improving the low economic status of their families upon return. Being innocent, helpless and homeless on the streets of these cities striving for survival, they fall victims of child abuse and child labour.

A survey showed that in a class of 50 girls, 35 of them while in school are absent minded because they are taking strategic plans on abandoning education or migrating to the big cities to work for money.

The motivation behind this proposal is to intervene and organise a street child or child labour and child migration campaign in the Garu-Tempane District for the girl child in basic schools, junior high school and senior high schools, vocational institutions and other school dropouts primarily with the hope of beneficiaries benefiting from the educational programs within the set period.

Project Summary
It is our belief at the Intervention for Development Foundation (INTERDEV-Ghana) that girl child empowerment through education on the effects of childhood migration can change the lives of girls within the area.

Objectives of the project
• To educate the girl child on the risks of childhood migration
• To obtain a slot on URA FM for the girl child – facilitated discussions on rural children development issues
• To ultimately increase, significantly, children's usage of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
• To create discussion forums for children clubs/groups on issues of children's rights

Activities
The main activities that beneficiary girls will be involved in are; online discussion of issues, radio discussion on public radio stations, creation and maintenance of blogs and wikis, debates, talk shows and mock parliamentary sessions. This will require the involvement of media houses to facilitate an easy implementation of the project. In addition, we intend involving the National Commission on Civil Education, District Ghana Education Officers for girl child education and the local offices of the Ministry of Women and Children's affairs to ensure sustainability of the products of the project.

During school break’s debates, some of them simulating parliamentary debates will be held between groups to raise awareness on issues and to make the beneficiary girls better prepared to participate in decision making especially in their immediate communities.

Conclusion
The high rate of girl child migration in the Garu-Tempane District of Northern Ghana will be curbed by making good use of resources gained to educate children on the risks involved. Also is to occupy them especially during school vacations with several activities such as ICT workshops, debates, quiz and talk shows. This will empower them academically, socially and mentally to contribute in the decision making and the advancement of their various communities.
Projecting for the next three years, INTERDEV-Ghana through support will establish a girl child youth centre in the Garu-Tempane District capital which will serve as an ICT training centre, a library and a dress making training centre for dropout children or for other children who wish to broaden their minds in this area during their leisure time. This will create a huge difference in the lives of these children. Also, it will help bridge the gap between these rural areas and the more developed areas in Ghana.