by helena selby
The dignity of a woman has always been believed to be her sexuality, however though its worth was priceless in the old days, the perception about the sexuality of women nowadays, seems to be the opposite of the notion of the old days. Girls are stripped of their sexual dignity, at a tender age, in a way that makes it difficult for them to identify their role of womanhood in society, at a latter age. In Ghana, and many parts of Africa, prostitution is one of the social vices that is really despised, especially in the case of children. Apart from child marriage, which is considered to be a major form of defilement of children, child prostitution can also seen to be the worst form of defilement. The practice of child prostitution has become an epidemic in many parts of the world, owing to the fact that its invasion of societies has been faster than people ever dreamt of.
what is child prostitution
The Encarta Dictionary defines child prostitution as the act of a child engaging in sexual intercourse, or performing other sexual acts in exchange for money, or offering another person for such purposes. Though less visible in the Ghana, its rapid spread in many parts of the capital of Ghana, Accra, has been rather mind-boggling. In Ghana places where child prostitution is practiced, include the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Soldier Bar, Abeka Lapaz, Kasoa, Newtown, Cantonments, near the Togo Embassy, Adabraka, and several other places, usually between 10:00pm to about 3:00am.
Who are the victims?
Victims of such atrocities might differ from nation to nation, since every nation has a constitution, which indicates at which age one is considered a child. In Ghana one below the age of 18 is considered to be a child, and cannot make important decisions, concerning his or her life, on her on accord. Mostly children under 18 years, from very poor families, fall prey to this abuse, as well as ignorant children from villages, and children of illiterate guardians. More often, ignorant children, especially those in the villages, are lured into this practice by some of their colleagues, who visit them in the village and convince them of a better life in the city, but are actually practicing prostitution. They, as a result, come realise it is all a lie, and that they have to sleep with men for money. According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC, child prostitution is offensive and completely unacceptable. In Asia alone, according to experts on the subject, more than one million young boys and girls are engaged in commercial sexual activity. And indications are that in every part of the world, the number of children being harmed in this way is growing. Child prostitutes are found in virtually every country, including the United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. There is an apparent increasing demand, globally; part of it fed by the fear of AIDS, and the naive belief that younger sex partners are free of disease, while some also believe that having sex with a virgin would cure one of the AIDS disease. While child prostitution is hardly unique to Thailand, its existence is repugnant to the Thai people.
What is the activity like?
Naturally, from the very onset of time, women always had the desire and obligation to protect their sexuality, for the sake of their husband to be. However the evolution of the world, the hardships, so called modernity, and the cruelty of mankind, has compelled many people to adopt some immoral aspects of life, just to get for themselves, a better life. Child prostitution, in most instances, takes place among teenage girls engaged in businesses such as the sale secondhand clothing, kayayos, hairdressing and petty trading as a means of survival. Some of them, due to their not getting sufficient money from their businesses at the end of the day, resort to prostitution at night, to supplement their meager incomes. They mostly live in ramshackle structures. According Rebecca, a hairdresser who refused to mention her second name, since she had nobody to support her, during her apprenticeship, prostitution was the only alternative. According to her, she was only 16 years, and fortunately for her, her clients do not realize it due to her developed body. Intense business really begins at 10:00 p.m. and she charges between GH¢3 and GH¢5, when she really works well, however she reduces the price to GH¢2 when business is not going well. For Mary, a secondhand clothes seller, who also withheld her second name, since she was still in the business, she sometimes goes in for gang sex. Gang sex occurs when one decides to go to bed with two or more men at a time. According to her, this process pays more, and that though she suffers terribly, she prefers it than taking one at a time, which pays very little. According to both Rebecca and Mary, the use of contraceptives is out of the question, as apart from they wanting it that way, their clients most times prefer it that way. They also have the notion that sweets are best eaten raw, and that the wrappers or label have to be taken off first, before one can joy it. Sensation and satisfaction, apart from money, are things that they really look out, for they emphasized.
Why the existence of child prostitution?
Every action has a motive behind it. Apart from ignorance, on the side of some these children which in turn makes indulge in such acts, poverty seems to be one of the greatest causes of child prostitution. In the northern regions extreme poverty compels the young ones to migrate to the south to work as kayayos or in other exploitative work. After a long day, without an earning, they opt for nothing than to go their male counterpart, or any other man in need of sex, to earn some money for food for the night. Sometimes, the inhumane, immorality and inconsideration of certain men woo children into child prostitution. Imagine Nana Ama, who is only 15 years, and living in Accra without anybody to fend for her, since she is an orphan, and never knew her father, except her mother who died recently. She had no money, food or shelter, and had also dropped out of school some years ago. Nana Ama was tired, hungry and alone, when she walked up to a man to ask him for GH¢1 for food. In return, the man wanted sex. She was compelled to give in, in order to get the money. From that moment onwards she thought, if doing this could generate money for her survival, then she was ever-ready to do it, turning her into a child prostitute. Rural-urban migration and peer pressure can also be considered as factors of child prostitution. Most villagers have the notion that it is easier to make in life in the city, than in the village. They are more convinced when their peers, engaged in prostitution in the city, display their earning when they visit the village. As a result they run to the city at a tender age, even if they live a better life in the village. To their surprise, they come to see the opposite of what they imagined. Owing to this they in turn engage in the same activity as their peers, so as to earn money for their survival in the city. Unfortunate children also fall prey, when madams and pimps convince them and bring them from the village, and give them to older men for money.
Outcome of child prostitution
Apart from it blackening the image of the country, contracting of sexually transmitted diseases is one of the main outcomes. As a result of many of them not using contraceptives, they easily catch sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like syphilis, gonorrhea and the dreadful one, HIV/AIDS. According to research 200 people are infected with HIV/AIDS everyday, though people contract it from various aspects, some of these people, if truth be told, contract it through child prostitution. Teenage pregnancy has also cropped up at an alarming rate, since children are the ones involved, and without any form of protection. Imagine a child giving birth to a child, the poor standard of living, stunted growth in the children, and the vicious cycle of poverty will never be broken, since the children might not have anyone to change their way of life, and also the mother is not involved in any decent job, and has no one to count on. According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., child prostitution is a growing problem worldwide, is a criminal activity, and serves as a catalyst for further criminal association in other fields. The helpless children are turned into mere pawns in criminal syndicates, which lead to a steady deterioration of morals.
Conclusion
Children are gift from God; it is also be gift to mankind and we must learn to treat them the way they deserve. The criteria for measuring a nation's future, most times, depend on children. However, it must be noted that a nation, with a its generation of children being wayward, out of control and exploited sexually, has the possibility of its future being derailed. There is the need for everybody to be obliged to learn to treat our future leaders with care, so as to leave the future of the nation in good hands.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Woes of the Street Child
by Helena Selby
Children are always believed to be a gift from God, and are supposed to be taken care of appropriately, as they deserve. It is a good thing to have children of one’s own, especially when it is the expectation of the parents.
A country with about 40% of their population being children is sometimes considered to be a country of great future leaders. Many marriages, more often than not, end on the rocks due to absence of children. This is because it is the notion of many, who go into marriage, to have children, so that the children could inherit their property, take care of them when they are in their old age or at times boast about their potency of their manhood and fertility of the womb. It is also the dream of every woman to have children, and take pride in it. Many people at certain times of their lives lose hope of their accumulating property, since they find it pointless as there would be no one to inherit them.
However, though the presence of children in one’s life is seen as a blessing, some people do not see it that way. The existence of children in the lives of some people, to them, is a nuisance and unbearable. Whereas many women crave to have children of their own and take delight in, others despise children to the extent that it becomes a sort of allergy to them.
Who are Street Children?
It is interesting to hear children saying what future professions they would like to be in. They often have the hope of becoming great people in the future, but some dreams are shattered along the way. Every now and then, children become victims of circumstance, a situation they have no idea of. Parents at certain point in time make certain unfair decisions, which give the child no other choice, than to end up on the streets, hence them becoming street children.
A child is referred to as a street child, when he or she lives on the street, and as well depend solely on life on the streets for most of his or her livelihood. Children in this state are not under the care of their parents or any adult, and are not under any form of control, so do not often get to live with their families during a lifetime. They are more often denied the opportunity of living with their families, and thereby do not have any idea of how family life feels like. They habitually live life the hard way, so do not get the needs of life as easily as other children do.
Despite the fact that they are usually aged between 10 and 15 years, they are generally engaged in adult activities, in order to fend for themselves, and also live in uncompleted and abandoned buildings, parks, containers, pavements, kiosks or on the street itself.
Whereas, some of these street children do not seem to have any idea as to which family roots they are connected to, some of these children know their families. They beg for alms or engage in street selling. Majority, in the end, go to their various homes and give their earnings to their parents or guardians for the up-keeping of the home. Some children, owing to extreme poverty in the home, prefer to stay on the streets permanently to fend for themselves.
Causes of Street Children
"There is no smoke without fire" goes an old adage. Every event that occurs has a root from which it is generated. Street children come into existence as a result of certain decisions taken by the parents of the children. Street children at certain times face the harsh realities of life due to natural occurrences. It must be put in mind that street children, do not only come into this life as a result of a mistakes committed by their parents, but sometimes due to the death of either parent. Maternal mortality can also be a cause of children living on the streets. Whenever maternal mortality occurs, the child becomes an orphan and when enough care is not taken, ends up on the streets, since he/she has no one to call mum or dad. Also in the case of maternal mortality, the child sometimes ends up living with a step-parent, which usually results in their being maltreated, by both the step-parent and siblings. In some cases female children are even defiled by their step-siblings/parent.
In some homes parents have no idea that the exhibition of bad manners and behaviours affect the child’s nature negatively. During certain periods in the home, the frequent occurrence of certain unpleasant situations make the child reach a point at which he or she feels enough is enough. Whenever the parent, especially the father, is always under the influence of alcohol leading to brutalization of the woman, the child becomes traumatized and eventually is forced to leave the home. This lands the child on the streets, if he or she does not have anyone to turn to.
At certain times, children decide to leave home because of poverty, starvation and unemployment. In the developing and under-developed countries, where the standard of living is virtually low, the crises of poverty and starvation are very persistent. Whenever the situation gets unbearable, children decide to go to the streets to fend for themselves, which might lead to them not going back home again.
Apart from the above named causes, divorce and separation in marriages, are also reasons for the presence of street children. At certain point in marriage, when couples refuse to tolerate each other, which eventually ends in divorce, the children are those who feel the effects most. During divorce some couples refuse to accept the responsibility of their children, especially when they both married to different people, due to the new partner not agreeing to take care of the children, resulting in them becoming homeless, and leaving to struggle on the streets.
On a more serious note, some parents deliberately abandon their children, in order to go on in life and accomplish a personal ambition of theirs. Most parents in their quest to make it in life do not see their children as part of their future so do not find it a problem abandoning them. When children are left without any trace of their parents’ whereabouts, they land on the street searching for greener pastures.
Consequences of street children
It is often believed that the environment in which one finds him or herself, has a great impact the person. Children on the streets, due to the nature of activities that go on, are exposed to a lot of dangers, which affects them physically and mentally. Most times girls, who are left on the streets, become victims of defilement and rape. Owing to the fact that they have nobody to protect them, the older ones, especially the males, take advantage of their physical weakness and harass them sexually.
Females, who have been sexually abused, often turn to prostitution, since they do not see anything special about their bodies anymore. AIDS is also rising at an alarming rate among street children, due some of these ordeals they go through.
At times people take advantage of their innocence and naivety, and introduce them to drugs. Some of them are forced to take dangerous drugs like cocaine, and also manipulate them into swallowing some of these drugs for trafficking. Most of these children end up becoming addicts, unable to free themselves till they die.
Some of these children sometimes end up becoming armed robbers, leading to them becoming a danger and nuisance to society.
The health condition of street children is generally poor. Many suffer from chronic diseases like TB, leprosy, typhoid, malaria, jaundice and liver/kidney disorders. Children in the early stages of life are prone to a lot of diseases, which sometimes lead to an untimely death. The street child, who has nobody to direct him as to what to do and where to go, does not have the opportunity to be immunized against childhood killer diseases.
Whenever children are not taken care of and not taught the values of life, they end up not having enough confidence in themselves. Timidity, fear and distrust for their fellow man sets into their hearts, since they have nobody to trust and end up having a very low self esteem.
Conclusion
Children are a gift from God and the future leaders of the country so must be taken care of properly. It must also be put into consideration that their being taken care of at the tender stage is very important, since they are too fragile to take care of themselves and have nobody to protect them.
Children are always believed to be a gift from God, and are supposed to be taken care of appropriately, as they deserve. It is a good thing to have children of one’s own, especially when it is the expectation of the parents.
A country with about 40% of their population being children is sometimes considered to be a country of great future leaders. Many marriages, more often than not, end on the rocks due to absence of children. This is because it is the notion of many, who go into marriage, to have children, so that the children could inherit their property, take care of them when they are in their old age or at times boast about their potency of their manhood and fertility of the womb. It is also the dream of every woman to have children, and take pride in it. Many people at certain times of their lives lose hope of their accumulating property, since they find it pointless as there would be no one to inherit them.
However, though the presence of children in one’s life is seen as a blessing, some people do not see it that way. The existence of children in the lives of some people, to them, is a nuisance and unbearable. Whereas many women crave to have children of their own and take delight in, others despise children to the extent that it becomes a sort of allergy to them.
Who are Street Children?
It is interesting to hear children saying what future professions they would like to be in. They often have the hope of becoming great people in the future, but some dreams are shattered along the way. Every now and then, children become victims of circumstance, a situation they have no idea of. Parents at certain point in time make certain unfair decisions, which give the child no other choice, than to end up on the streets, hence them becoming street children.
A child is referred to as a street child, when he or she lives on the street, and as well depend solely on life on the streets for most of his or her livelihood. Children in this state are not under the care of their parents or any adult, and are not under any form of control, so do not often get to live with their families during a lifetime. They are more often denied the opportunity of living with their families, and thereby do not have any idea of how family life feels like. They habitually live life the hard way, so do not get the needs of life as easily as other children do.
Despite the fact that they are usually aged between 10 and 15 years, they are generally engaged in adult activities, in order to fend for themselves, and also live in uncompleted and abandoned buildings, parks, containers, pavements, kiosks or on the street itself.
Whereas, some of these street children do not seem to have any idea as to which family roots they are connected to, some of these children know their families. They beg for alms or engage in street selling. Majority, in the end, go to their various homes and give their earnings to their parents or guardians for the up-keeping of the home. Some children, owing to extreme poverty in the home, prefer to stay on the streets permanently to fend for themselves.
Causes of Street Children
"There is no smoke without fire" goes an old adage. Every event that occurs has a root from which it is generated. Street children come into existence as a result of certain decisions taken by the parents of the children. Street children at certain times face the harsh realities of life due to natural occurrences. It must be put in mind that street children, do not only come into this life as a result of a mistakes committed by their parents, but sometimes due to the death of either parent. Maternal mortality can also be a cause of children living on the streets. Whenever maternal mortality occurs, the child becomes an orphan and when enough care is not taken, ends up on the streets, since he/she has no one to call mum or dad. Also in the case of maternal mortality, the child sometimes ends up living with a step-parent, which usually results in their being maltreated, by both the step-parent and siblings. In some cases female children are even defiled by their step-siblings/parent.
In some homes parents have no idea that the exhibition of bad manners and behaviours affect the child’s nature negatively. During certain periods in the home, the frequent occurrence of certain unpleasant situations make the child reach a point at which he or she feels enough is enough. Whenever the parent, especially the father, is always under the influence of alcohol leading to brutalization of the woman, the child becomes traumatized and eventually is forced to leave the home. This lands the child on the streets, if he or she does not have anyone to turn to.
At certain times, children decide to leave home because of poverty, starvation and unemployment. In the developing and under-developed countries, where the standard of living is virtually low, the crises of poverty and starvation are very persistent. Whenever the situation gets unbearable, children decide to go to the streets to fend for themselves, which might lead to them not going back home again.
Apart from the above named causes, divorce and separation in marriages, are also reasons for the presence of street children. At certain point in marriage, when couples refuse to tolerate each other, which eventually ends in divorce, the children are those who feel the effects most. During divorce some couples refuse to accept the responsibility of their children, especially when they both married to different people, due to the new partner not agreeing to take care of the children, resulting in them becoming homeless, and leaving to struggle on the streets.
On a more serious note, some parents deliberately abandon their children, in order to go on in life and accomplish a personal ambition of theirs. Most parents in their quest to make it in life do not see their children as part of their future so do not find it a problem abandoning them. When children are left without any trace of their parents’ whereabouts, they land on the street searching for greener pastures.
Consequences of street children
It is often believed that the environment in which one finds him or herself, has a great impact the person. Children on the streets, due to the nature of activities that go on, are exposed to a lot of dangers, which affects them physically and mentally. Most times girls, who are left on the streets, become victims of defilement and rape. Owing to the fact that they have nobody to protect them, the older ones, especially the males, take advantage of their physical weakness and harass them sexually.
Females, who have been sexually abused, often turn to prostitution, since they do not see anything special about their bodies anymore. AIDS is also rising at an alarming rate among street children, due some of these ordeals they go through.
At times people take advantage of their innocence and naivety, and introduce them to drugs. Some of them are forced to take dangerous drugs like cocaine, and also manipulate them into swallowing some of these drugs for trafficking. Most of these children end up becoming addicts, unable to free themselves till they die.
Some of these children sometimes end up becoming armed robbers, leading to them becoming a danger and nuisance to society.
The health condition of street children is generally poor. Many suffer from chronic diseases like TB, leprosy, typhoid, malaria, jaundice and liver/kidney disorders. Children in the early stages of life are prone to a lot of diseases, which sometimes lead to an untimely death. The street child, who has nobody to direct him as to what to do and where to go, does not have the opportunity to be immunized against childhood killer diseases.
Whenever children are not taken care of and not taught the values of life, they end up not having enough confidence in themselves. Timidity, fear and distrust for their fellow man sets into their hearts, since they have nobody to trust and end up having a very low self esteem.
Conclusion
Children are a gift from God and the future leaders of the country so must be taken care of properly. It must also be put into consideration that their being taken care of at the tender stage is very important, since they are too fragile to take care of themselves and have nobody to protect them.
Domestic Violence And Rights Abuses
By Helena Selby
It is very unfortunate that the majority of reported domestic violence cases are against women and children. One might attribute it to their level of fragility, or maybe their abilities are always being underrated and taken for granted. Though the campaign against domestic violence has become an everyday issue the number of reported cases increases every now and then. To the layman, the issue of domestic violence is always associated with cases like rape, defilement, maltreatment, child trafficking and assault, but certain cultural practices such as trokosi, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and the archaic widowhood rites could also fall under domestic violence.
Incidents such as rape and defilement happen a lot, but are always covered up due to the stigma associated with these incidents. In the Ghanaian society, victims of rape or defilement shy away from exposing the culprits, because of the notion that no one would like to marry the victim of rape or defilement. The few reported ones always seem to be by chance. In as much as incidents such as rape, defilement, maltreatment and child trafficking are of concern to society, some aspects of our culture practices also need to be of concern, so as to eliminate them.
Domestic violence and child trafficking
GlobalMarch.com refers to child trafficking as any act or transaction, whereby a child is transferred by any person or group of persons to another, for remuneration or any other consideration. This generally results in them being commercially exploited at all times. Every child below the age of 18 needs to be taken care of by an adult, and when the situation happens to be vice versa, then child abuse or exploitation has taken place. When a child is below the age of 18, and is compelled by adults to do work way beyond his or her ability, it is an offence, since it is a form of domestic violence. In Ghana trafficking of children most often happens to rural dwellers, especially to poor parents and guardians. Normally urban dwellers, on their visits to the rural areas, convince parents, guardians and the children of a better life and education in the city. On the other hand, parents with a vision of a better future for their children, give them out to people who seem to have been successful in the cities, to bring them up.
Rape and defilement
The Oxford dictionary defines rape as forcing somebody to have sex when they do not want to, by threatening them or using violence. Defilement and rape go hand in hand, just that rape is associated with adults, defilement is associated with children below the age of 18 years. Rape and defilement are a human rights abuse, and against the law. Apart from one practically losing her dignity through the act of abuse, the victim suffers serious trau0ma as well. These acts can make a woman develop emotional, mental and psychological problems. According to sources, victims of such situations find difficulties in their sex life, marriage life and social life. Some even go to the extent of losing any form of trust for anyone, especially men.
Domestic violence and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs, for non-medical reasons.
The procedure involved can cause severe bleeding and urinary problems, and later potential childbirth complications and still births. It is mostly carried out on young girls, between infancy and the age of 15. According to those into this practice, it is meant to deter girls from fornicating, since the removal of the external genitalia takes away any sort of desire or pleasure for sex. Society frowns on indiscriminate sex, however every human being has right to enjoy the pleasure derived from sex. It is therefore a form of domestic violence, and an abuse of human rights to deter someone from enjoying sex, all in the name of culture. After all, this practice has no health benefits for women.
Domestic violence and Trokosi
Trokosi is a customary rite practiced in the Volta Region of Ghana, especially among the Ewe tribe. With this practice, a virgin girl is taken to a shrine to pay for the wrongdoings of a family member, especially the parents. The girl is bestowed to the shine, so loses the chance of getting married to any man, since she is believed to be married to the fetish priest, immediately the rite is performed. Modernity and democracy do not encourage this culture. Democracy and even biblical words proclaim that everyone has to pay for his or her crime or offence, and not someone else's. It is therefore a crime associated with domestic violence to forcibly take someone to a shrine to pay for the sins of a family member, simply because she is a virgin. Come to think of it, girls in such communities will not think twice about losing their virginity before marriage, since they will be free from the trokosi culture.
It is very fortunate that women who are victims of such a culture have not lost hope, as they are being helped by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), fight this abuse. According to a report a by The Public Concern newspaper, 101 former trokosi and vulnerable women have graduated from the International Needs Network Vocational Training Centre (INVTC), at Adidome in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region In Ghana. They undertook a three month course in soap, powder, baking, batik tie and dye making. It was sponsored by the Australian and Aid Network (AUSAID), and organised by the management of International Needs Ghana (ING), both NGOs campaign against trokosi. They make available micro-credit for the victims, and also provide them with start-up capital, in the form of items needed to start a business.
Domestic violence and Widowhood Rites
Doesn't a woman have the right to be at peace after the sorrowful death of her husband? Why is it only with women and not men, when their wives die? Widowhood rites, which exists in some of our societies, apart from exposing women to all sort of humiliations, makes them undergo social, economic and emotional trauma. It is a rite that many spouses, especially women, have to undergo after the death of their partner. Some of these women have to go through hair shaving, ritual bathing and confinement in a room for days and sometimes, years. Some societies go to the extent of compelling the woman to drink water they had used to bath the corpse of her husband. This, they say, is to verify if the woman is really the case of her husband's death. Not long ago, three very old women in a royal house were confined in a room for about nine years, simply because their husband, who was the king, was dead. They had no choice than to spend nine years of their lives, cooped up in a room.
What are governments doing?
The Government of Ghana in 1998, observing the plight of victims of various abuses, created a unit in the Ghana police Service, called the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). This unit works closely with the Department of Social Welfare, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and Legal Aid. Apart from handling cases of domestic violence, juvenile offence and child delinquency, it also handles cases of child abuse. When the situation calls for medical attention, they refer victims for medical care and counseling. Apart from that, they also have clinical psychologists and counselors, who provide counseling free of charge.
The main idea behind the free services of the DOVVSU is to make the service available to all, so as to enable anybody with a complaint to launch a case.
The DOVVSU is interested in enforcing the law, and protecting the communities against criminals, and not making criminals out of victims.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a global issue, which the world is finding it extremely difficult to avoid. NGOs, as well as governments, are trying their best in its eradication. Societies should also try their possible best to stop the violation of the rights of their fellow humans. People should also be vigilant so as not to fall victim to abusers of human rights.
It is very unfortunate that the majority of reported domestic violence cases are against women and children. One might attribute it to their level of fragility, or maybe their abilities are always being underrated and taken for granted. Though the campaign against domestic violence has become an everyday issue the number of reported cases increases every now and then. To the layman, the issue of domestic violence is always associated with cases like rape, defilement, maltreatment, child trafficking and assault, but certain cultural practices such as trokosi, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and the archaic widowhood rites could also fall under domestic violence.
Incidents such as rape and defilement happen a lot, but are always covered up due to the stigma associated with these incidents. In the Ghanaian society, victims of rape or defilement shy away from exposing the culprits, because of the notion that no one would like to marry the victim of rape or defilement. The few reported ones always seem to be by chance. In as much as incidents such as rape, defilement, maltreatment and child trafficking are of concern to society, some aspects of our culture practices also need to be of concern, so as to eliminate them.
Domestic violence and child trafficking
GlobalMarch.com refers to child trafficking as any act or transaction, whereby a child is transferred by any person or group of persons to another, for remuneration or any other consideration. This generally results in them being commercially exploited at all times. Every child below the age of 18 needs to be taken care of by an adult, and when the situation happens to be vice versa, then child abuse or exploitation has taken place. When a child is below the age of 18, and is compelled by adults to do work way beyond his or her ability, it is an offence, since it is a form of domestic violence. In Ghana trafficking of children most often happens to rural dwellers, especially to poor parents and guardians. Normally urban dwellers, on their visits to the rural areas, convince parents, guardians and the children of a better life and education in the city. On the other hand, parents with a vision of a better future for their children, give them out to people who seem to have been successful in the cities, to bring them up.
Rape and defilement
The Oxford dictionary defines rape as forcing somebody to have sex when they do not want to, by threatening them or using violence. Defilement and rape go hand in hand, just that rape is associated with adults, defilement is associated with children below the age of 18 years. Rape and defilement are a human rights abuse, and against the law. Apart from one practically losing her dignity through the act of abuse, the victim suffers serious trau0ma as well. These acts can make a woman develop emotional, mental and psychological problems. According to sources, victims of such situations find difficulties in their sex life, marriage life and social life. Some even go to the extent of losing any form of trust for anyone, especially men.
Domestic violence and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs, for non-medical reasons.
The procedure involved can cause severe bleeding and urinary problems, and later potential childbirth complications and still births. It is mostly carried out on young girls, between infancy and the age of 15. According to those into this practice, it is meant to deter girls from fornicating, since the removal of the external genitalia takes away any sort of desire or pleasure for sex. Society frowns on indiscriminate sex, however every human being has right to enjoy the pleasure derived from sex. It is therefore a form of domestic violence, and an abuse of human rights to deter someone from enjoying sex, all in the name of culture. After all, this practice has no health benefits for women.
Domestic violence and Trokosi
Trokosi is a customary rite practiced in the Volta Region of Ghana, especially among the Ewe tribe. With this practice, a virgin girl is taken to a shrine to pay for the wrongdoings of a family member, especially the parents. The girl is bestowed to the shine, so loses the chance of getting married to any man, since she is believed to be married to the fetish priest, immediately the rite is performed. Modernity and democracy do not encourage this culture. Democracy and even biblical words proclaim that everyone has to pay for his or her crime or offence, and not someone else's. It is therefore a crime associated with domestic violence to forcibly take someone to a shrine to pay for the sins of a family member, simply because she is a virgin. Come to think of it, girls in such communities will not think twice about losing their virginity before marriage, since they will be free from the trokosi culture.
It is very fortunate that women who are victims of such a culture have not lost hope, as they are being helped by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), fight this abuse. According to a report a by The Public Concern newspaper, 101 former trokosi and vulnerable women have graduated from the International Needs Network Vocational Training Centre (INVTC), at Adidome in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region In Ghana. They undertook a three month course in soap, powder, baking, batik tie and dye making. It was sponsored by the Australian and Aid Network (AUSAID), and organised by the management of International Needs Ghana (ING), both NGOs campaign against trokosi. They make available micro-credit for the victims, and also provide them with start-up capital, in the form of items needed to start a business.
Domestic violence and Widowhood Rites
Doesn't a woman have the right to be at peace after the sorrowful death of her husband? Why is it only with women and not men, when their wives die? Widowhood rites, which exists in some of our societies, apart from exposing women to all sort of humiliations, makes them undergo social, economic and emotional trauma. It is a rite that many spouses, especially women, have to undergo after the death of their partner. Some of these women have to go through hair shaving, ritual bathing and confinement in a room for days and sometimes, years. Some societies go to the extent of compelling the woman to drink water they had used to bath the corpse of her husband. This, they say, is to verify if the woman is really the case of her husband's death. Not long ago, three very old women in a royal house were confined in a room for about nine years, simply because their husband, who was the king, was dead. They had no choice than to spend nine years of their lives, cooped up in a room.
What are governments doing?
The Government of Ghana in 1998, observing the plight of victims of various abuses, created a unit in the Ghana police Service, called the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). This unit works closely with the Department of Social Welfare, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and Legal Aid. Apart from handling cases of domestic violence, juvenile offence and child delinquency, it also handles cases of child abuse. When the situation calls for medical attention, they refer victims for medical care and counseling. Apart from that, they also have clinical psychologists and counselors, who provide counseling free of charge.
The main idea behind the free services of the DOVVSU is to make the service available to all, so as to enable anybody with a complaint to launch a case.
The DOVVSU is interested in enforcing the law, and protecting the communities against criminals, and not making criminals out of victims.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a global issue, which the world is finding it extremely difficult to avoid. NGOs, as well as governments, are trying their best in its eradication. Societies should also try their possible best to stop the violation of the rights of their fellow humans. People should also be vigilant so as not to fall victim to abusers of human rights.
Herbal Medicines Rescue PLHIV
Helena Selby
4 February 2009
Opinion
In the beginning of time, according to biblical words after the creation of the universe, the Creator proclaimed that mankind eats the food of the fields and the herbs for medicinal purposes.
It is of no doubt that the Creator knew exactly the power behind what he said. Herbs have gone a long way in curing a lot of unimaginable diseases in the world of mankind. Herbs cure diseases including infertility, fibroid, asthma and many others. With the emergence of the dreadful HIV/AIDS disease, which medical experts claim has no cure, but have come up with an anti retroviral drug to suppress the virus. Nevertheless, it did not end there, as herbs have also found a way of dealing with this dreadful disease, in order to alleviate the suffering of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) at ease.
General knowledge on HIV/AIDS According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), HIV can be transmitted through the blood, sexual fluid, or breast milk of an HIV-infected person. People can get HIV if any of these fluids enter the body and into the bloodstream. The disease can be contracted through unprotected sex with an HIV-infected person. An HIV-infected mother can transmit HIV to her child during pregnancy, delivery, or while breast feeding.
People can also be infected when using syringes through the sharing needles and other equipment. The HIV virus over time weakens the immune system of the body, resulting in the inability of it to fight certain diseases in the body diseases. The immune system of a person with AIDS will weaken to the point where serious medical intervention would be necessary to sustain that person's life.
HIV/AIDS and people
In order to decrease the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS, an educative slogan with its initial as ABC was created. The A, stands for Abstinence from sex, B, for, Be faithful and the C stands for Condoms. 'A' means that one should abstain from having casual sex; 'B,' one should be faithful to one's partner - That is married couples; 'C,' one should always use a condom when having sex, to prevent one from catching the disease, supposing one's partner has contracted the virus.
According to the Director of Technical Services at the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr. Richard N. Amenya, the HIV epidemic was showing no sign of leveling of in sub-Saharan Africa and globally, as about 7,000 people get infected daily. In Ghana, there was an estimated 26,500 new HIV infections in 2007.
Despite the proven effectiveness of existing prevention approaches, fewer than one in five people are at high risk of contracting the HIV virus, as the current prevention approaches are not practical for everyone, especially women. A number of scientific studies have documented an effective way of adopting safer sex behaviour. This includes abstinence or delaying initiation of sexual activity, decreasing the number of sexual partners, and using condoms consistently and correctly, if sexually active.
A survey, among sex workers in 2006, also revealed that about 91% use condoms every time; 5.3% use condoms almost every time; 3.3% use condoms sometimes and 0.3% rarely use condoms with their clients. Another survey, conducted among men who have sex with men in 2006, found out that about 25% were found to be HIV positive, and 48.1% used condoms the last time they had sex with a male partner.
It was noted that 57% of the total adults infected were women, while 75% of young people infected were female. In Ghana, a total of 300,000 cases of AIDS had been reported by the end of 2007, with about 60% of them female.
Herbs and people
Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes worldwide since time immemorial, however, the emergence of technology and modernity has overshadowed its importance. Though the use of herbs for medicinal purposes is important, most herbalists use unhygienic methods when preparing the herbal potions. According to some too much over-reliance on technology, modernity and sometimes religion, has created the impression that herbalists are fetish priests and practice voodoo, thereby making it very difficult for most people to patronise these services.
Mrs. Charity Sampah, who was sick with severe stomach ulcer according to her, tried a lot of orthodox medicines, all to no avail. In her plight, a good friend directed her to a herbalist, who was said to be a specialist in such diseases. According to her, she underwent treatment for two months, and till date, the stomach ulcer has not re-surfaced.
Modernity and available technology has given herbalists the opportunity to improve upon the processing of herbs into tonics, bitters, capsules, pills and even tablets, which they now export to other countries, thereby increasing the scope of their markets.
Despite their efforts at improving their skills and knowledge, the existence of fake herbalists is one of the major problems bedeviling the industry.
Herbal treatment and HIV/AIDS
Champion Devine Clinic is one of the renowned herbal clinics in Ghana. It is known for curing diseases like infertility, asthma, and many others. However, with the passage of time, this herbal clinic has brought about a herbal medicine for HIV/AIDS. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Kwaku Frimpong, he had developed a herbal formula called the Champ Immune Booster. He said the medicine was an improvement on the original, and drastically restores the health of most HIV/AIDS patients, by rebuilding their immune system.
He made it clear that though the medicine does not eradicate the virus completely, it goes a very long way in suppressing the virus, in such a way that the patient would come to his or her normal self. Despite the fact that he gets no support from the government, he has tried his best to make the price of the medicine very moderate. Receiving the prestigious Award of Excellence for Africa's Best Alternative Herbal Clinic, he boasted about the fact that his medicine had no side-effects. However, one has the tendency of becoming weak, when the person does not eat while taking the medicines. He noted that all the raw material for the medicine comes from Pakistan, and that depending on the CD4 count of the patient, treatment would be administered.
Recounting the treatment of one Serwah Akoto from Asante Mampong, he said she was so weak that she could hardly help herself. In order to avoid embarrassment and scorn, she was compelled to leave her marital home to her mother's place in Kumasi. However, after she had condemned herself to death in such misery, Champion Divine Clinic's Champ Immune Booster came out of nowhere to give her a helping hand. According to him, she started taking the Champ Immune Booster for three months, which has ended up helping her to a very great extent.
Mr. Frimpong, seeing the kind of impact he has made on the Ghanaian society, encourages the use of herbal medicines in Ghana, as against the importation of foreign drugs, which have wild side-effects on human health.
Conclusion
Though one cannot guarantee that every herbal medicine has no side-effects, one can as well guarantee that they are natural and without chemicals. Herbal medicines are most of the time very affordable and is patronised mainly by the less financially-endowed in society. Everybody deserves to be healthy, irrespective of ones status in life, therefore there is urgent need to protect and preserve our environment, as it is the main source of herbs, and that is one of the good things the Creator left for mankind.
4 February 2009
Opinion
In the beginning of time, according to biblical words after the creation of the universe, the Creator proclaimed that mankind eats the food of the fields and the herbs for medicinal purposes.
It is of no doubt that the Creator knew exactly the power behind what he said. Herbs have gone a long way in curing a lot of unimaginable diseases in the world of mankind. Herbs cure diseases including infertility, fibroid, asthma and many others. With the emergence of the dreadful HIV/AIDS disease, which medical experts claim has no cure, but have come up with an anti retroviral drug to suppress the virus. Nevertheless, it did not end there, as herbs have also found a way of dealing with this dreadful disease, in order to alleviate the suffering of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) at ease.
General knowledge on HIV/AIDS According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), HIV can be transmitted through the blood, sexual fluid, or breast milk of an HIV-infected person. People can get HIV if any of these fluids enter the body and into the bloodstream. The disease can be contracted through unprotected sex with an HIV-infected person. An HIV-infected mother can transmit HIV to her child during pregnancy, delivery, or while breast feeding.
People can also be infected when using syringes through the sharing needles and other equipment. The HIV virus over time weakens the immune system of the body, resulting in the inability of it to fight certain diseases in the body diseases. The immune system of a person with AIDS will weaken to the point where serious medical intervention would be necessary to sustain that person's life.
HIV/AIDS and people
In order to decrease the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS, an educative slogan with its initial as ABC was created. The A, stands for Abstinence from sex, B, for, Be faithful and the C stands for Condoms. 'A' means that one should abstain from having casual sex; 'B,' one should be faithful to one's partner - That is married couples; 'C,' one should always use a condom when having sex, to prevent one from catching the disease, supposing one's partner has contracted the virus.
According to the Director of Technical Services at the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr. Richard N. Amenya, the HIV epidemic was showing no sign of leveling of in sub-Saharan Africa and globally, as about 7,000 people get infected daily. In Ghana, there was an estimated 26,500 new HIV infections in 2007.
Despite the proven effectiveness of existing prevention approaches, fewer than one in five people are at high risk of contracting the HIV virus, as the current prevention approaches are not practical for everyone, especially women. A number of scientific studies have documented an effective way of adopting safer sex behaviour. This includes abstinence or delaying initiation of sexual activity, decreasing the number of sexual partners, and using condoms consistently and correctly, if sexually active.
A survey, among sex workers in 2006, also revealed that about 91% use condoms every time; 5.3% use condoms almost every time; 3.3% use condoms sometimes and 0.3% rarely use condoms with their clients. Another survey, conducted among men who have sex with men in 2006, found out that about 25% were found to be HIV positive, and 48.1% used condoms the last time they had sex with a male partner.
It was noted that 57% of the total adults infected were women, while 75% of young people infected were female. In Ghana, a total of 300,000 cases of AIDS had been reported by the end of 2007, with about 60% of them female.
Herbs and people
Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes worldwide since time immemorial, however, the emergence of technology and modernity has overshadowed its importance. Though the use of herbs for medicinal purposes is important, most herbalists use unhygienic methods when preparing the herbal potions. According to some too much over-reliance on technology, modernity and sometimes religion, has created the impression that herbalists are fetish priests and practice voodoo, thereby making it very difficult for most people to patronise these services.
Mrs. Charity Sampah, who was sick with severe stomach ulcer according to her, tried a lot of orthodox medicines, all to no avail. In her plight, a good friend directed her to a herbalist, who was said to be a specialist in such diseases. According to her, she underwent treatment for two months, and till date, the stomach ulcer has not re-surfaced.
Modernity and available technology has given herbalists the opportunity to improve upon the processing of herbs into tonics, bitters, capsules, pills and even tablets, which they now export to other countries, thereby increasing the scope of their markets.
Despite their efforts at improving their skills and knowledge, the existence of fake herbalists is one of the major problems bedeviling the industry.
Herbal treatment and HIV/AIDS
Champion Devine Clinic is one of the renowned herbal clinics in Ghana. It is known for curing diseases like infertility, asthma, and many others. However, with the passage of time, this herbal clinic has brought about a herbal medicine for HIV/AIDS. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Kwaku Frimpong, he had developed a herbal formula called the Champ Immune Booster. He said the medicine was an improvement on the original, and drastically restores the health of most HIV/AIDS patients, by rebuilding their immune system.
He made it clear that though the medicine does not eradicate the virus completely, it goes a very long way in suppressing the virus, in such a way that the patient would come to his or her normal self. Despite the fact that he gets no support from the government, he has tried his best to make the price of the medicine very moderate. Receiving the prestigious Award of Excellence for Africa's Best Alternative Herbal Clinic, he boasted about the fact that his medicine had no side-effects. However, one has the tendency of becoming weak, when the person does not eat while taking the medicines. He noted that all the raw material for the medicine comes from Pakistan, and that depending on the CD4 count of the patient, treatment would be administered.
Recounting the treatment of one Serwah Akoto from Asante Mampong, he said she was so weak that she could hardly help herself. In order to avoid embarrassment and scorn, she was compelled to leave her marital home to her mother's place in Kumasi. However, after she had condemned herself to death in such misery, Champion Divine Clinic's Champ Immune Booster came out of nowhere to give her a helping hand. According to him, she started taking the Champ Immune Booster for three months, which has ended up helping her to a very great extent.
Mr. Frimpong, seeing the kind of impact he has made on the Ghanaian society, encourages the use of herbal medicines in Ghana, as against the importation of foreign drugs, which have wild side-effects on human health.
Conclusion
Though one cannot guarantee that every herbal medicine has no side-effects, one can as well guarantee that they are natural and without chemicals. Herbal medicines are most of the time very affordable and is patronised mainly by the less financially-endowed in society. Everybody deserves to be healthy, irrespective of ones status in life, therefore there is urgent need to protect and preserve our environment, as it is the main source of herbs, and that is one of the good things the Creator left for mankind.
Newmont Mining Corporation Depleting Forest Reserves?
Helena Selby
The plight of the people According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the Newmont Akyem project, the proposed open pit would be exactly 900 metres wide, 2,560 metres long and 480 metres deep. Approximately, the mining project would generate 130 million tonnes of waste rock, which would have to be disposed off, and this has implications for the livelihood of the people in the area. Looking at the description of the project, a lot of people will lose their properties, especially farmers.
Even though section 74 of the Minerals and Mining Act provides for the principles for compensation payment, which includes compensation for loss of earning and life expectancy of the crops, in addition to paying compensation for loss of land, it was not really adhered to. According to the Newmont Ghana Livelihood Restoration Program for 2006, the total value of entitlement of every cocoa farmer is ¢41,685,000 (old cedis) per acre, and ¢20,050,406 old (cedis) per acre for citrus farmers, which is updated every year. To some farmers the amount of compensation is very inadequate, considering the plight of farmers in Akyem. One farmer, whose name has been with held, claims that he owns a four- acre Citrus farm which earns him GH¢5,000 annually, however with the Newmont mining project, the proposed compensation to be paid by Newmont is GH¢6,000 for his 4-acre citrus farm which could last for about 40 years.
Newmont’s economic plan for Akyem
According to Newmont, the people of Akyems hopes of farming would not be destroyed forever, since they were going to take them through the Agriculture Improvement and Land Access Program (AILAP). According to Newmont, it is a post resettlement mitigation program, established to assist farmers directly affected by the development of the Ahafo Mine. AILAP was implemented in April 2006, and is specifically targeted at farmers who have been paid their crops or building compensation. According to Newmont, it was partnering with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Opportunities Industrialisation Centre International (OICI), the Asutifi District Assembly, the chiefs of the mine communities, chief farmers, and the DOMCRIS Team, in implementing the programme. AILAPS’s goal is to increase the levels of agriculture produce diversity, produce yields, and market access, existing prior to the start of the Ahafo Mine operation.
An official of Newmont explained that they give the affected farmers the chance to look for lands at any place of their choice, and come to inform them in order for them to pay for the land to start with their farming again. According to Newmont, they even go to the extent of providing them with seedlings to start farming again. These farmers will be registered, and taken through business training, after farming input would be distributed to them with extension support from the MOFA Extension Officers.
The people’s reaction
Even though this economic plan of Newmont seems to be a good idea, according to the people, they tend to lose their lands, farms and livelihoods forever. Interviewing one resident of the Ahafo area, whose name has been withheld, and has been through the AILAP Programme, he noted that the land they are told to go for was usually for rent and Newmont is only prepared to pay two years rent for only two acres of land. If the farmer takes more than two acres of the land, he pays it himself, and when he rents it for more than two years, Newmont just pays for the two years, and the rest of the years the farmer pays, or is demanded to vacate the land when unable to continue with the payment.
He gave a scenario of a cocoa farmer who wants to start with his cocoa seedlings and doesn’t have enough money to pay for additional years, it means his dreams of harvesting his cocoa would come to a halt, since cocoa takes four years to mature fully, and not two years. According to the people, it would be good if the land they go for would be bought for them, so that they could continue to own land since, they expect their cocoa farm to take care of them for a lifetime, and not for just two years.
For those who used to rent the land at their former place of farming, Newmont should pay extra rent fee for them to be able to harvest whatever they cultivate. Even though mining companies claim to compensate people handsomely, according to a research titled "Advocacy for the establishment of standards of compensation in the Mining Industry," carried out by the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge, confirmed that about 79% of people in communities affected by mining were dissatisfied with their compensation packages.
Government and Cocoa
According to Prof Kasim Kassanga, a former Chairman of the Lands Valuation Board, cocoa is a long yielding investment, lasting between 40-50 years. He said a mature cocoa tree was capable of yielding half bag of cocoa beans, and the farmers are being paid about GH¢102 per bag of cocoa. In effect, a farmer who is offered GH¢9 for a lost cocoa tree, could obtain about GH¢50 from that tree in just one year, and the returns to this cocoa tree could last for between 40 and 50 years.
Even though mining in Ghana is now the highest foreign exchange earner, the question that comes to mind is, how much percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) does mining give to the country? Cocoa might not presently be the leading foreign exchange earner, but its contribution to GDP is very immense, compared to mining. There is the need for government to protect the economic interests of the people. After all it is its responsibility.
It is easy to conclude that the government is not really fighting for the economic wellbeing of the people. How come cocoa, which is the highest contributor to GDP, is about to be destroyed all in the name of mining, which contributes just a minute part of our GDP? In this regard the economic plan that Newmont has for the people of Akyem should be a plan that goes to the extent of continuing to make cocoa the highest contributor to GDP.
Government’s Dilemma
The government seems to be in a dilemma over protecting the country’s depleting forests, while at the same time seeking revenues from the gold that is buried in the forests. The government is sometimes seen to be contradicting itself in its efforts to rehabilitate depleted forest reserves, and at the same time permitting mining in these same reserves. Already, some mining companies have been permitted to mine in Forest Reserves, and there have been regular complaints in the media from communities affected by the activities of massive degradation of the forests, and conflicts around compensation and other negative effects.
Advocacy non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Third World Network, WACAM, Forest Watch, Civic Response, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the Nation, ISODEC, Center for Public Interest Law, Youth for Action Ghana, Abantu and communities working in the National Coalition on Mining(NCOM), have asked the government to apply the whip to Newmont, by revoking the environmental permit granted Newmont Akyem project to mine in the Ajenua Bepo forest reserve, as a demonstration of the commitment of the government to its statement of not permitting mining in Forest Reserves. However, the government has not yet decided on the demands of the advocacy NGOs and communities.
Recently, the CEO of Newmont Mining Corporation, Mr. O’Brien, visited Ghana and had a meeting with President Professor Atta Mills, including a closed-door meeting. Mr. O’Brien, in briefing the press, talked about the need to complete the processes to allow Newmont to commence the Akyem mine.
Conclusion
What is government’s position in the campaign against the intended Newmont Akyem project, which would destroy the Ajenua Bepo Forest reserve and create long term social and economic problems for the people, especially when the mine would last for only 15 years? The Newmont Akyem project would be an acid test for the commitment of government to the protection of the environment.
Many people in Ghana and outside are watching how government could resist the pressure from the mining company. The government should bear in mind that it is responsible for the wellbeing of the people, and that it would be a very bad example on its side if it fails to protect them.
Newmont Mining Corporation depleting Ghana's forest resreve
By Helena Selby (helena_selby@yahoo.com) Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It has always being perceived that people living in towns where gold is mined, happen to be the luckiest on the face of the earth. They usually don’t have a thing to worry about, since there will be an abundance of job opportunities to help improve upon their standard of living, social amenities and lives. Nevertheless, the notion seems to be vice versa, just like the attitude of the Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Limited (GSBPL), which is making the lives of people in Prestea miserable, and so is Newmont Mining Corporation also about to make the lives of the people Akyem miserable, by mining in a forest reserve. Mining in a town is a good opportunity for the people, but it becomes nightmare when the rights of the people are taken for granted, properties destroyed, daily bread taken away, heritage, biodiversity destruction, reduction of rainfall, and tourism destroyed, and as well without any befitting compensation for the victims to go on with their lives.
The intended mining operation of the Newmont Akyem project in the Ajenua Bepo Forest reserve, in the New Abirem District, has been condemned by organisations, farmers, and sections of the people, while others like business people and the youth, who for one reason or the other seem to be in support of Newmont’s Akyem project.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited
Newmont Mining Corporation is one of the world’s leading mining companies. Its headquarters can be found in Denver, Colorado (USA). It has three subsidiaries registered under the laws of Ghana, namely Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Moydow Limited and Golden Ridge Resource Limited (GRRL). It has been producing gold at its mines in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana since 2006. Golden Ridge Resources Limited has been exploring for gold and assessing development opportunities in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region of the country.
Ghana’s forest cover
According to research, Ghana’s forest cover has reduced from 8.2 million hectares at the turn of the 20th Century to 1.6 million hectares. The rate of forest depletion is put at 62,000 hectares annually, which presents a major challenge to policy makers and environmentalists.
The Forest Reserves remain the hope of protecting the remaining forest cover in Ghana from further destruction, and efforts aimed at the rehabilitation of Ghana’s depleted forests is important . Furthermore, forest reserves have become important in this era of climate change and biodiversity protection, and the destruction of Forest Reserves has become an issue of global importance. There is the need for forest reserves to be protected, and not allow artificial land activities to destroy them, just like Newmont Akyem project intends to establish a mining pit, which would destroy the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region.
According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) of the Newmont Akyem project, the company would be able to replace the forest cover that would be destroyed by the mining operations, and even make it bigger, with the help of the Business and Biodiversity Programme (BBOP). The programme is in collaboration with Conservation International, Forest Trends and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The BBOP is expected to enhance the biodiversity of a target area, to offset that which would be destroyed in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. A major critic of the BBOP is that natural forests cannot be replaced by plantations. It is feared that some species of flora and fauna in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve, which would be lost through the mining operations, cannot be replaced through the BBOP technology.
Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve
The Ajenua Bepo forest reserve is the watershed for important rivers such as Owo Nta, Alotosu, Aprapon, Adenkyesu and Yaayaa, which serve the various needs of many of the people in the area. The Ajenua Mountain, which is the highest altitude in the area, and the forest cover improves rainfall that promotes agriculture in the area.
It also serves as home for many animals, birds, butterfly, and important trees and plant species which provide sustainable medicinal benefits that maintains the ecosystem and serves as a store of biodiversity. The reserve is of life-time importance to the Akyem people, so the government, which claims to have the people’s wellbeing at heart, should try and prevent the reserve from being used for short term benefits, all in the name of mining.
Mining laws in Ghana
Day in and day out, there are reports of the violations of the rights of people living in mining areas. Sometimes the failure to implement laws to protect the interests of the people makes its existence irrelevant, since it is not serving the purpose it was meant to. People living in mining communities expect mining laws to provide protection for their rights, instead of only protecting the interests of mining companies.
According to Sections 73 and 74 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, the amount of compensation payable under subsection (1) shall be determined by agreement between the parties, but if the parties are unable to reach an agreement as to the amount of compensation, the matter shall be referred by either party to the Minister, who shall in consultation with the government agency responsible for land valuation, and subject to this act, determine the compensation payable by the holder of the mineral right.
Section74 (a) of the Act states that the compensation to which an owner or lawful occupier is entitled to, may include compensation for deprivation of the use or a particular use of the natural surface of the land, (b) loss of or damage to immovable properties, in the case of land under cultivation, (c) loss of earnings or sustenance suffered by the owner or lawful occupier, (d) having due to regard to the nature of their interest in the land, loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy.
A major complaint of the people to be affected by the operations of the Newmont Akyem project is that the Newmont compensation regime does not take into consideration compensation principles, especially the loss of earnings, deprivation of the use of the land, and compensation based on loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy. To be continued
It has always being perceived that people living in towns where gold is mined, happen to be the luckiest on the face of the earth. They usually don’t have a thing to worry about, since there will be an abundance of job opportunities to help improve upon their standard of living, social amenities and lives. Nevertheless, the notion seems to be vice versa, just like the attitude of the Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Limited (GSBPL), which is making the lives of people in Prestea miserable, and so is Newmont Mining Corporation also about to make the lives of the people Akyem miserable, by mining in a forest reserve. Mining in a town is a good opportunity for the people, but it becomes nightmare when the rights of the people are taken for granted, properties destroyed, daily bread taken away, heritage, biodiversity destruction, reduction of rainfall, and tourism destroyed, and as well without any befitting compensation for the victims to go on with their lives.
The intended mining operation of the Newmont Akyem project in the Ajenua Bepo Forest reserve, in the New Abirem District, has been condemned by organisations, farmers, and sections of the people, while others like business people and the youth, who for one reason or the other seem to be in support of Newmont’s Akyem project.
Newmont Ghana Gold Limited
Newmont Mining Corporation is one of the world’s leading mining companies. Its headquarters can be found in Denver, Colorado (USA). It has three subsidiaries registered under the laws of Ghana, namely Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Moydow Limited and Golden Ridge Resource Limited (GRRL). It has been producing gold at its mines in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana since 2006. Golden Ridge Resources Limited has been exploring for gold and assessing development opportunities in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region of the country.
Ghana’s forest cover
According to research, Ghana’s forest cover has reduced from 8.2 million hectares at the turn of the 20th Century to 1.6 million hectares. The rate of forest depletion is put at 62,000 hectares annually, which presents a major challenge to policy makers and environmentalists.
The Forest Reserves remain the hope of protecting the remaining forest cover in Ghana from further destruction, and efforts aimed at the rehabilitation of Ghana’s depleted forests is important . Furthermore, forest reserves have become important in this era of climate change and biodiversity protection, and the destruction of Forest Reserves has become an issue of global importance. There is the need for forest reserves to be protected, and not allow artificial land activities to destroy them, just like Newmont Akyem project intends to establish a mining pit, which would destroy the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve in Akyem lands, in the Eastern Region.
According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) of the Newmont Akyem project, the company would be able to replace the forest cover that would be destroyed by the mining operations, and even make it bigger, with the help of the Business and Biodiversity Programme (BBOP). The programme is in collaboration with Conservation International, Forest Trends and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The BBOP is expected to enhance the biodiversity of a target area, to offset that which would be destroyed in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve. A major critic of the BBOP is that natural forests cannot be replaced by plantations. It is feared that some species of flora and fauna in the Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve, which would be lost through the mining operations, cannot be replaced through the BBOP technology.
Ajenua Bepo Forest Reserve
The Ajenua Bepo forest reserve is the watershed for important rivers such as Owo Nta, Alotosu, Aprapon, Adenkyesu and Yaayaa, which serve the various needs of many of the people in the area. The Ajenua Mountain, which is the highest altitude in the area, and the forest cover improves rainfall that promotes agriculture in the area.
It also serves as home for many animals, birds, butterfly, and important trees and plant species which provide sustainable medicinal benefits that maintains the ecosystem and serves as a store of biodiversity. The reserve is of life-time importance to the Akyem people, so the government, which claims to have the people’s wellbeing at heart, should try and prevent the reserve from being used for short term benefits, all in the name of mining.
Mining laws in Ghana
Day in and day out, there are reports of the violations of the rights of people living in mining areas. Sometimes the failure to implement laws to protect the interests of the people makes its existence irrelevant, since it is not serving the purpose it was meant to. People living in mining communities expect mining laws to provide protection for their rights, instead of only protecting the interests of mining companies.
According to Sections 73 and 74 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, the amount of compensation payable under subsection (1) shall be determined by agreement between the parties, but if the parties are unable to reach an agreement as to the amount of compensation, the matter shall be referred by either party to the Minister, who shall in consultation with the government agency responsible for land valuation, and subject to this act, determine the compensation payable by the holder of the mineral right.
Section74 (a) of the Act states that the compensation to which an owner or lawful occupier is entitled to, may include compensation for deprivation of the use or a particular use of the natural surface of the land, (b) loss of or damage to immovable properties, in the case of land under cultivation, (c) loss of earnings or sustenance suffered by the owner or lawful occupier, (d) having due to regard to the nature of their interest in the land, loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy.
A major complaint of the people to be affected by the operations of the Newmont Akyem project is that the Newmont compensation regime does not take into consideration compensation principles, especially the loss of earnings, deprivation of the use of the land, and compensation based on loss of expected income, depending on the nature of crops on the land and their life expectancy. To be continued
Human rights education: a must for every citizenBy Helena Selby (helena_selby@yahoo.com) Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Human rights education is very important, in as much as its campaign is spreading widely, so is the need for its implementation. It is about time education on human rights be was introduced in all aspects of the life of every human, since it is their rights anyway. The education and implementation of human rights has become very rare in all walks of life. It is therefore no wonder that the majority of children at home and in the basic schools tends to be extremely timid, when it comes to defending or expressing themselves both in school and at home.
The layman, and even the literate, to a large extent, cannot be exempted in the implementation of their rights, due to lack of education. Equipping teachers with the skills to teach and instill in students human rights knowledge, would promote a good human rights atmosphere in society. People ought to bear in mind that the in-depth study of human rights at the basic level, would go a long way in developing the skills, attitude and knowledge of the individual. Moreover, the study of human rights would go a long way in ensuring peace, security and stability in the world.
Human rights education and Ghana
Democracy and human rights go hand in hand. Ghana is a democratic country where the rights of people are respected and tolerated, it therefore cannot progress without the existence of human rights knowledge in the people. There is the need for society to be abreast with the rights it possesses, since it is a democratic society. In Ghana, there are always campaigns on human rights education by the government, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGO). There are always rights about the freedom to express oneself freely, freedom of association and movement at workplaces, and other rights that the constitution bestows to the people. This ends up assisting people whenever they come across instances of rights abuse.
However, it is very unfortunate that very few people get the chance to implement their rights to their satisfaction.
In Ghana, democracy and rights implementation are always preached to the outside world in broad daylight, but in the dark it is a different story all together. It is a good thing that so far the rights of freedom of expression, movement and association are being enjoyed by the majority of the masses. However, rights of people at workplaces are an issue that is difficult to deal with. Owing to the fact that jobs are very difficult to find in the world, people are exploited day in day out at their various workplaces.
How about the issue of remand prisoners? Remand prisoners seem to be often exempted when it comes to human rights. Some of these prisoners might know their rights, but they are not given the room to implement it. In as much as they voice them out the more, they are suppressed of achieving the freedom which is duly theirs. More and more people, in one way or the other, are deprived of their rights, but still democracy seems to be the doctrine of the day.
Human rights education in schools
Children are the future leaders of every nation, the future destruction and development of every nation depends on how the children are given opportunity to information and how the information is being implemented. Many children in Ghana, and many parts of Africa, are not abreast with the issue of human rights, so end up being vulnerable in the hands of other people. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), in coloration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), has come out with a teacher’s manual in the teaching of human rights education in schools. It is yet to include human rights education into schools curricula, but the objective of the manual is to enhance the training of teachers in human rights, equip them with skills in delivering human rights lessons, and as well promote a culture of human rights in the school environment. In the designing of this manual, the commission was motivated by the belief that it was important that training lessons in human rights for students ought to be conducted in ways that are consistent with human rights principles and practice - do not deny students their rights to participate in their own learning, and enable students to voice out opinion and experiences of human rights. Human rights education programmes, according to CHRAJ, need to be learner-centered, make reference to human rights instruments and mechanisms of protection, and use creative participatory teaching methods that are relevant to people’s lives. There will also be the need to involve constant interaction between educators and learners, and include the participation of critical thinking, communication and problem solving skills.
Human rights education and the teachers
The introduction of this programme in the GES curricula is a good step towards the achievement of a perfect democracy. Children will be aware of their rights, so the issue of them being intimidated is out of the question. However, it is now up to teachers not to only teach human rights, but also show it. It is a well known fact that in Ghana children from the Basic to the Senior High level are always being intimidated and taken for granted, when it comes to self expressions. The Ghanaian culture, which always insinuates that the adult is always right no matter how wrong he is, can be found in schools as well. Meaning that the teacher is always right, no matter how partial he is in his attitude and his decision making towards the child. With the existence of corporal punishment in school, students or children are always threatened.
The majority of teachers seem to take delight in the caning of children, rather than taking pains to correct them without the use of the cane. They capitalise on the slightest offence and in anger cane them mercilessly, since it is not considered an offence. In various instances, teachers are able to beat up a child till he/she attains an injury or collapses and afterwards regret it. A student or a child witnessing a situation like that would not risk voicing out his or her feelings. It is about time that the CHRAJ and GES eliminate corporal punishment from schools, and introduce punishment in a form of the child working on the environment. Teachers must make it a point to set good example, since the majority of their students emulate them and whatever expression that comes from their lips. Teachers ought to bear in mind that the introduction of human rights education in the curricula, is not meant for students only, but to a wider extent they in particular, since the children see them as able leaders.
Human rights education and the police
The police have the duty of protecting citizens and helping them to know their rights whenever they are in need. This duty of the police seems to be fading away, as they are the very people who try to suppress citizens from expressing themselves. It is a common thing to see a policeman in a public bus giving irrelevant orders to passengers. They even go to the extent of arresting anyone who dares to correct them. Sometimes citizens wonder if really they are educated on human rights issues. A driver, narrating his ordeal in the hands of a policeman, said he was driving on the side the road, and instead of the policeman asking him to pull over, stopped beside his car and started hitting him with a cane. The driver got angry, stopped his car and asked the police why that attitude, because they were all adults, and that he should be fined for his offence.
The policeman ignored the driver, with people around, and continued hitting the driver till he injured his eyebrow. It later on turned into a bloody fight between the driver and the policeman. The policeman not able to contain the beating he was receiving fled in his car. It is very sad that the policeman, who was supposed to bring peace, rather brought trouble and fled. It is up to CHRAJ and the police force to educate the police about their attitudes toward the people, and the citizens must also be educated on the Police Intelligence and Professional Standard Bureau (PIPS) programme, whereby any police personnel is reported for any misbehaviour.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the age, career and stage of life of an individual, human rights education is important. Since we are all interested in the progress of the nation, there is the need to be eager in being part of human rights education. If the people are knowledgeable, the nation is as well knowledgeable, and change and development would not be difficult to achieve.
Human rights education is very important, in as much as its campaign is spreading widely, so is the need for its implementation. It is about time education on human rights be was introduced in all aspects of the life of every human, since it is their rights anyway. The education and implementation of human rights has become very rare in all walks of life. It is therefore no wonder that the majority of children at home and in the basic schools tends to be extremely timid, when it comes to defending or expressing themselves both in school and at home.
The layman, and even the literate, to a large extent, cannot be exempted in the implementation of their rights, due to lack of education. Equipping teachers with the skills to teach and instill in students human rights knowledge, would promote a good human rights atmosphere in society. People ought to bear in mind that the in-depth study of human rights at the basic level, would go a long way in developing the skills, attitude and knowledge of the individual. Moreover, the study of human rights would go a long way in ensuring peace, security and stability in the world.
Human rights education and Ghana
Democracy and human rights go hand in hand. Ghana is a democratic country where the rights of people are respected and tolerated, it therefore cannot progress without the existence of human rights knowledge in the people. There is the need for society to be abreast with the rights it possesses, since it is a democratic society. In Ghana, there are always campaigns on human rights education by the government, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGO). There are always rights about the freedom to express oneself freely, freedom of association and movement at workplaces, and other rights that the constitution bestows to the people. This ends up assisting people whenever they come across instances of rights abuse.
However, it is very unfortunate that very few people get the chance to implement their rights to their satisfaction.
In Ghana, democracy and rights implementation are always preached to the outside world in broad daylight, but in the dark it is a different story all together. It is a good thing that so far the rights of freedom of expression, movement and association are being enjoyed by the majority of the masses. However, rights of people at workplaces are an issue that is difficult to deal with. Owing to the fact that jobs are very difficult to find in the world, people are exploited day in day out at their various workplaces.
How about the issue of remand prisoners? Remand prisoners seem to be often exempted when it comes to human rights. Some of these prisoners might know their rights, but they are not given the room to implement it. In as much as they voice them out the more, they are suppressed of achieving the freedom which is duly theirs. More and more people, in one way or the other, are deprived of their rights, but still democracy seems to be the doctrine of the day.
Human rights education in schools
Children are the future leaders of every nation, the future destruction and development of every nation depends on how the children are given opportunity to information and how the information is being implemented. Many children in Ghana, and many parts of Africa, are not abreast with the issue of human rights, so end up being vulnerable in the hands of other people. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), in coloration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), has come out with a teacher’s manual in the teaching of human rights education in schools. It is yet to include human rights education into schools curricula, but the objective of the manual is to enhance the training of teachers in human rights, equip them with skills in delivering human rights lessons, and as well promote a culture of human rights in the school environment. In the designing of this manual, the commission was motivated by the belief that it was important that training lessons in human rights for students ought to be conducted in ways that are consistent with human rights principles and practice - do not deny students their rights to participate in their own learning, and enable students to voice out opinion and experiences of human rights. Human rights education programmes, according to CHRAJ, need to be learner-centered, make reference to human rights instruments and mechanisms of protection, and use creative participatory teaching methods that are relevant to people’s lives. There will also be the need to involve constant interaction between educators and learners, and include the participation of critical thinking, communication and problem solving skills.
Human rights education and the teachers
The introduction of this programme in the GES curricula is a good step towards the achievement of a perfect democracy. Children will be aware of their rights, so the issue of them being intimidated is out of the question. However, it is now up to teachers not to only teach human rights, but also show it. It is a well known fact that in Ghana children from the Basic to the Senior High level are always being intimidated and taken for granted, when it comes to self expressions. The Ghanaian culture, which always insinuates that the adult is always right no matter how wrong he is, can be found in schools as well. Meaning that the teacher is always right, no matter how partial he is in his attitude and his decision making towards the child. With the existence of corporal punishment in school, students or children are always threatened.
The majority of teachers seem to take delight in the caning of children, rather than taking pains to correct them without the use of the cane. They capitalise on the slightest offence and in anger cane them mercilessly, since it is not considered an offence. In various instances, teachers are able to beat up a child till he/she attains an injury or collapses and afterwards regret it. A student or a child witnessing a situation like that would not risk voicing out his or her feelings. It is about time that the CHRAJ and GES eliminate corporal punishment from schools, and introduce punishment in a form of the child working on the environment. Teachers must make it a point to set good example, since the majority of their students emulate them and whatever expression that comes from their lips. Teachers ought to bear in mind that the introduction of human rights education in the curricula, is not meant for students only, but to a wider extent they in particular, since the children see them as able leaders.
Human rights education and the police
The police have the duty of protecting citizens and helping them to know their rights whenever they are in need. This duty of the police seems to be fading away, as they are the very people who try to suppress citizens from expressing themselves. It is a common thing to see a policeman in a public bus giving irrelevant orders to passengers. They even go to the extent of arresting anyone who dares to correct them. Sometimes citizens wonder if really they are educated on human rights issues. A driver, narrating his ordeal in the hands of a policeman, said he was driving on the side the road, and instead of the policeman asking him to pull over, stopped beside his car and started hitting him with a cane. The driver got angry, stopped his car and asked the police why that attitude, because they were all adults, and that he should be fined for his offence.
The policeman ignored the driver, with people around, and continued hitting the driver till he injured his eyebrow. It later on turned into a bloody fight between the driver and the policeman. The policeman not able to contain the beating he was receiving fled in his car. It is very sad that the policeman, who was supposed to bring peace, rather brought trouble and fled. It is up to CHRAJ and the police force to educate the police about their attitudes toward the people, and the citizens must also be educated on the Police Intelligence and Professional Standard Bureau (PIPS) programme, whereby any police personnel is reported for any misbehaviour.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the age, career and stage of life of an individual, human rights education is important. Since we are all interested in the progress of the nation, there is the need to be eager in being part of human rights education. If the people are knowledgeable, the nation is as well knowledgeable, and change and development would not be difficult to achieve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)