A Ghanaian journalist, Raissa Sambou, has launched an initiative geared towards the protection of children in Ghana and Africa at large.
This forms part of efforts by the multiple award-winning journalist to help promote the safety and development of children in Africa.
In an interview with the media in Accra last weekend, she stated that shielding children from exploitation, abuse and poverty was very necessary, adding that these are areas her newly-formed child-centered NGO, The Raissa Child Protection Initiative, would focus on.
Also, she said the NGO would help enhance healthcare access for children, implement and support programmes that alleviate poverty and engage in awareness campaigns and collaborations with law enforcement agencies to create a protective environment for vulnerable children.
“The Raissa Child Protection Initiative stands as a beacon for children’s rights and well-being. We will not relent in our efforts to create a brighter future for every child,” she said.
According to Raissa Sambou, creating a protective environment where children can thrive is one of the ways underdeveloped nations can invest in their future.
“Prioritizing child protection in deprived regions is an investment in human capital because it lays the foundation for a more just and prosperous world.
“We cannot think about having a better future if we ignore the pressing needs of children. It is my hope that through this foundation, many children will be saved from the devastating impacts of poverty,” she added.
In furtherance, Raissa Sambou indicated that children are vulnerable in nature and require protection and guidance to thrive, therefore, neglecting their needs jeopardises their physical and mental well-being, hindering proper development and perpetuating cycles of poverty.
She appealed to the government to provide financial support to impoverished families to fight child poverty.
This, she said, could include the introduction of subsidized healthcare and very affordable housing initiatives.
Saving children from the pervasive impacts of poverty, she said, should be the priority of governments and all members of the public who mean well.
"No child deserves any kind of suffering," she stressed.
Raissa Sambou is a two-time Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Award winner.
At the 2020 edition of the GJA awards ceremony, she emerged winner of the Child Protection Category and also won the Most Promising Journalist of the Year award.
The Merck Foundation, an international awards scheme, also honored her during the 2022 'More Than A Mother' Awards ceremony for her stories on child protection and women empowerment.
The journalist is a graduate of the Jayee University College in Accra and UNiMAC-GIJ.
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Raissa Sambou is a journalist