Michael Baabu of Safe Child Ghana has designed a Board Game on “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene” (WASH) to instil hand-washing with soap practice and values for healthy living like drinking safe water, using toilets and environmental sanitation behavior in children.
Michael’s innovative WASH Board Game, not only promote and demonstrate hygiene and sanitation practices in an interactive and participatory way, but also provides excitement for children while playing.
Great news! On Thursday, 02nd July, 2015, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a resolution co-sponsored by over 85 States, including Ghana to strengthen efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage.
The resolution is the first-ever substantive resolution on child marriage adopted by the Council.
Michael Baabu with Mabel van Oranje, Chair of Girls Not Brides.
Michael Baabu with Lakshmi Sundaram, Executive Director of Girls Not Brides.
Michael with Samantha Ash, Conference Coordinator of Girls Not Brides.
Michael with Francoise Moudouthe, Head of Africa Engagement, Girls Not Brides.
Michael Baabu, Founder of Safe Child urged Government to co-sponsor the draft United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage on Happy98.9FM Prime-time News on Monday, 29th June, 2015.
Michael also respectfully wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, Hon. Hanna Tetteh, “concerning the resolution on ‘strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage’ which has been tabled and is currently being discussed at the UN Human Rights Council.”
It is critical that as many countries as possible, from a broad geographical range, co-sponsor the resolution. It is particularly important that the resolution is co-sponsored and supported by governments of countries with a high prevalence of child marriage, which Ghana is one.
A widely-supported resolution will help build global support for ending child marriage, especially as countries begin to implement the Sustainable Development Goals’ target, by demonstrating global consensus on the issue and highlighting its link to human rights and sustainable development.
• Child, early and forced marriage is a global problem which cuts across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities and affects approximately 15 million girls every year. It is a human rights and development issue that has hindered the achievement of 6 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals.
• Passage of the resolution will demonstrate global commitment to addressing the issue of child marriage and the importance of including a target on child, early and forced marriage in the final post-2015 development framework.
While ending child marriage is an important aim in itself, it will also help accelerate efforts to achieve a safe, healthy and prosperous future for girls around the world and in Ghana. We therefore urged Ghana, to co-sponsor the resolution to help end child, early and forced marriage.
#EndChildMarriageNow!