Ghana urged to create a system for tracking child protection funding
Ark Foundation founder Angela Dwamena-Aboagye urged Ghanaian authorities to create a system for tracking child protection funds so they can be directed to districts with the highest risks. According to MyJoyOnline, she stressed that without reliable data, it is difficult to determine the required amount of funding and priorities for its use.
Tracking funds
Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on September 14, Dwamena-Aboagye said that setting aside a certain share of the budget for child protection does not in itself guarantee effective spending. According to her, without a system for setting priorities and monitoring the use of resources, allocated funds may not produce results.
She noted that in the absence of figures and data, it is difficult to determine what share of funds should be directed to child protection. The foundation representative proposed tracking the flow of funding from the Ministry of Finance through relevant state structures to the District Assemblies Common Fund.
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District needs
In Dwamena-Aboagye's view, the funding system should take into account the specific needs of children in different districts of the country. She also supported a bottom-up approach under which decisions on child protection are not made solely at the national level.
Her comments came against the backdrop of the JoyNews and SOS Children’s Villages Ghana documentary “Hands That Hurt, Hands That Heal.” The film tells of children who, according to its authors, experienced violence, exploitation, or circumstances that affected their lives and education. Among the cases cited in the film are claims of violence against a 15-year-old boy by his father and sexual violence against a 14-year-old girl by a neighbor.
Dwamena-Aboagye said that general commitments or arbitrarily determined budget shares are insufficient to respond to such cases. According to her, Ghana needs a coordinated system capable of identifying needs, directing resources, and preventing gaps between institutions.
