CMCE Urges Government To Adopt Child Care Centers Due To Role In National Development

An appeal has gone to the government to adopt child care centers in the country, especially in the rural communities.

Such a move, according to the Coalition of Maternal Health and Citizen Empowerment (CMCE), would offer mothers an appropriate environment to keep their children during working hours.

 

The Executive Director of CMCE, Mahama Salaam said adopting and providing logistics for child care centers would also help these mothers in the communities to focus on their work and contribute to the development of the country.

 

He spoke at a day’s workshop organized by CMCE, in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana, at Hwidiemin the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region.

Participants included traditional leaders, women groups, and officials from social welfare, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service (GHS), and the District Assembly.

The workshop discussed the findings of a research conducted by the organizations to support the Small Holder Farmers Movement and the Young Urban Women’s Movement.

The research looked into social services for women in the communities with a focus on water, health facilities, sanitation, and child care centers in nine communities in the Asutifi North and South Districts.

Mr. Salaam said the communities have seen an improvement in the water, health, and sanitation situations, though there are some shortfalls that need to be improved.

He, however, said women, who contribute significantly to national development are the most vulnerable in the communities and as such need some essential social amenities to help improve their lives.

“When women give birth and have to work -farming, teaching, nursing, and trading, among others, they need a place to keep their children. That is why we need to provide more child care centers in the communities,” he said.

He said child care centers are key in the development of every country, and bemoaned the fact that the operations of such centers are not supervised by the Ghana Education Service.

“We are pleading with the Assembly and the central government to adopt child care centers as part of the educational structure and provide the needed logistics and support for caretakers for effective delivery,” he said.

The CMCE Executive Director, Mahama Salaam, noted that when these working mothers have a place to keep their children, they will have enough time to concentrate on their work, thereby increasing their contribution to the development of the country and being financially better.

He revealed that ActionAid has provided three child care centers at Sienchemu, Mehame Nkwanta, and Amanfrom in the Asutifi South District which requires some level of support to function properly.

Rosemond Anab, the President of the Women Farmers Movement, said one of the biggest challenges for women, most of whom are peasant farmers in the districts, is carrying their children to the farm and other workplaces.

She also appealed for more child care centers which she believes would reduce their burden, help them focus on their work, and help reduce poverty among women.

Nana Anim Dankwa, Saamanhene, Kenyasi No.1, noted that, as traditional leaders, they must be committed to empowering women in their communities and supporting ventures that would help them to work and be independent.

He, however, urged the women to take advantage of the many development interventions from NADef, Newmont Ghana, and the traditional councils to improve their lots.

 

 

 

 

PROFILE OF COALITION FOR MATERNAL HEALTH AND CITIZEN EMPOWERNMENT (CMCE)

Name of Organization: Coalition for Maternal Health and Citizen Empowerment (CMCE)
Address: Post Office Box 31, Kenyasi, Ahafo Region, Ghana, West Africa
E-mail Address: cmce.gh@gmail.com
Website: cmcegh.simplesite.com

 

 

 

WHO WE ARE:
Coalition for Maternal Health and Citizen Empowerment (CMCE) is a national NGO operating in Four (4) districts of Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. It was established in 1995 and registered with the Registrar General Department and Social Welfare Department in 1996 and 2004 respectively under the name Dormaa Traditional Healers and Birth Attendants Association (DOTHEBAA). The name was changed to Centre for Maternal Health and Community Empowerment (CMCE) in 2010 which have been re-registered in 2018 with the above name. We are currently in partnership with ActionAid Ghana.
Registered under Registrar General Department of Ghana.
Wth Registration Number: CG029262018
Tax Identification Number: C0011401389
VISION: To see a society of healthy women and youth without poverty where citizens can freely enjoy their human rights
MISSION: To work with development partners, government agencies, rural communities and other NGOs to ensure that the rights of the disadvantage are fulfilled

 

 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION:
To improve the knowledge of smallholder farmers through modern agricultural technology transfer
To advocate for timely release of subsidize farm inputs to smallholder farmers and facilitate the creation of ready market through value chain development.
To strengthened basic education management systems
To advocate for the provision of basic educational needs in deprived schools.
To promote women and children rights
To promote equal opportunities for men and women through advocacy and Campaign
To promote socio-economic and political empowerment of women and youth.
To campaign against all forms of violence against women and children.
To promote maternal and reproductive health education

 

 

 

 

PAST WORKS AND PROGRAMMES BY CMCE
Improved the income levels of women through livestock project (women in livestock).
Improved climate resilience and sustainable agriculture through female extension volunteer scheme and youth in bee keeping.
Enhanced women participation in decision making through capacity building and campaign
Campaigned against all forms of violence against women and children through Community Based Anti-Violence Team (COMBAT).
Citizen Involvement in Medium Term Development Planning by District Assemblies.
Enhanced access to quality basic education through education related projects (Organized quiz and debate for girl’s movement, Training of school management system; PTA & SMC, Career Fair, Girl’s Motivational Platforms)
Promoted Reproductive health right through education on sexually transmitted infections and safe motherhood practices
The above projects were funded by the following organizations:
Actionaid Ghana
Star Ghana through SODIA
Health Foundation of Ghana
Contact Person
Name: Mahama Salaam
Tel No.: 0249543393/0201149425
Email Address: mahamasalaam@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

WHERE WE WORK
CMCE works with close to Twenty-two thousand people in forty-four (44) communities in four (4) districts namely; Asutifi North and South districts in the Ahafo Region; and Dormaa Municipal and Dormaa East District Bono Region of Ghana.
The focus of our work is to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels to the benefit of the deprived in society and ensuring the rights of marginalized citizens are fulfilled by duty bearers.
We intend to expand to other districts in the near future if resources are available.

 

 

 

AREAS OF INTEREST
Our work is focused on the under listed specific areas
– Food Rights and Climate Change
– Women and Children’s rights
– Governance
– Reproductive health education and Safe Motherhood Practices
In food Right and Climate Change, we mobilize small holder farmers and their groups to advocate for pro-poor policies that promote;
Support women farmer groups to have access to farm inputs and agro processing machines
Train rural farmers on modern techniques of agriculture
Building and strengthening of farmer networks/movements at the local and district levels to carry out advocacy and campaign.
Education on agro-ecology to rural farmers.
Train rural farmers on pre-harvest and post harvest management practices to mitigate post harvest loses
In the women and children rights, we mobilize women to;
Women in leadership
Campaign against all forms of violence against women and children and advocate effective policy to that effect
Mobilize vulnerable groups and undertake activities that will lead their empowerment (Economic, Social, Political, Cultural) in the society.
Mobilize girls into platforms and empower them to demand for their rights.
In the right to education we;
Mobilize right holders and support them to advocate for provision of adequate educational resources for effective delivery of education at all levels
Support right holders to advocate for conducive school and community environment to enhance effective teaching and learning
Building and strengthening Parents Teacher Association Networks for effective participation in school governance
Organize programs to improve girl-child education at the basic and the secondary levels
In governance we;
We offer programs to strengthen community structures (youth and women groups) to demand for accountable governance
We build the capacity of local government structures (assembly members and unit committees) to effectively participate in decision making process.
Mobilize young women into a platform and empower contribute to decision making at all levels.
In Reproductive Health Education and Safe Motherhood Practices we;
Educate communities on safe motherhood practices
Offer programs to improve the knowledge of women on the use of agro products eg. Soya beans, local rice to improve maternal and child nutrition status
Organize programs to improve the knowledge of community members on Sexually Transmitted Infections’ (STIs) prevention and management
Mobilize community structures to advocate for the provision of adequate resources to health centers

 

 

 

ACHIEVEMENTS
There have been many successes over the past years but a just a few will be mention as follows;
Mobilized and facilitated the formation of fifty (50) farmer groups in two districts (Asutifi North and South )
Supported fifty (50) smallholder farmer groups with farm inputs on Soya beans and maize production
Trained six hundred and fifty (650) rural farmers on agro business, value chain concept, tenancy agreement preparation, chemical application and post harvest management Organized food fair for fifty farmers
Facilitated for the establishment of District Farmer Network which is actively advocating for their rights
Facilitated for formation of women farmer movement in the Ahafor Region which is advocating and campaigning on issues affecting women farmers.
Supported One Hundred and Forty (140) women with livestock which increased to three hundred and fifty-six (356) and is improving their economic livelihood.
One hundred and seventy-five (175) Community Based Anti-violence Team (COMBAT) members from twenty-five communities in the Asutifi North and South districts have been trained and campaigning against violence against women and girls in their various communities through effective collaboration of government agencies (Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit – DoVVSU of Ghana Police Service, Social Welfare, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice – CHRAJ, and the law courts).
Three thousand six hundred and fifty (3,650) women of reproductive age sensitized on the need to practice exclusive breast feeding, maternal and child nutrition, antenatal and post-natal care in Dormaa municipal area and Dormaa East district
Four thousand, seven hundred and fifty (4,750) youth euipped with knowledge on Sexually Transmitted Infections’ (STIs) prevention and management.
A 55 year old chief of Nsesreso through REFLECT (Community Education Tool) enrolled in the formal school and completed Junior High School (JHS).
Empowerment of women in decision making has now improved in the Dormaa municipality such that out of 10 women who contested for the district assembly elections in 2006, 5 were elected in the Dormaa municipality
Implemented a one years project titled Citizen Involvement on Medium Term Development Planning by District Assemblies which led to three communities having their action plan captured in the Asutifi South District Assembly’s medium term development plan in 2015.
One hundred and fifty women had their capacity built in leadership skills in the Asutifi North and South District and activily participate in decision making
Fifty (50) Teenage mothers counselled to return to formal school and Ten returned to school and completed JHS.
District Parents Teacher Association Network formed in Asutifi North and South Districts and are actively engaged in advocacy and campaign for the provision educational resources at the basic level.
Girls Empowerment and Advocacy Platform (GEAP) formed and are advocating and campaigning on issues affecting girl-child education in Asutifi North District.
CURRENT PARTNERS: ActionAid Ghana (AAG)
COLLABORABORATORS
District Assemblies
Department of Agriculture
DoVVSU
Social Welfare
CHRAJ
Ghana Education Service
Ghana Health Service
Traditional Leaders
Youth and Women groups
Networks and Associations
Vulnerable groups
Media
CMCE STRATEGIES
Participatory Review and Reflection (PRRP)
Data collection and research

 

 

 

 

 Master Of Ceremony (M.C) available for all your events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: MyGhanaMedia.com