COVID-19: Scrap CST to aid Online Studies
Child Online Africa has noted with concern the framework outlined by the Ministry of Education on Tuesday March 25, 2020 in furtherance of the President’s directive to vacate all school children in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We fully concur with government’s decision to leverage the internet and Mass Media (Radio/TV) by rolling out Virtual classrooms on these platforms to aid children at home to study their course contents online. We also acknowledge the effort of the Sector minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh who has announced some strategic partnerships with Service providers, CSO’s and Media Organizations to create …
Who Takes Responsibility For Digitized Reputation ?
Child Online Africa wishes to appeal to the general public as well as the responsible sector ministries that it is imperative that somebody owns up to do the proper thing to help address the issue of young people being caught in mistakes which are not easy to erase for sharing their lives online. Social media tools are used by adults as well as young people and most often than not a lot of people use them to document their lives. Despite the good sides of the social media tools, there are potential dangers of maintaining a positive reputation to protecting …
Ejisuman Senior High Video: A Case for Digital Citizenship
Child Online Africa has noted with surprise the decision arrived at by authorities of Ejisuman Senior High School acting on behalf of the Ghana Education Service in relation to the 7 students who were expelled from the boarding facility of the school on grounds that the accused were using a mobile phone – which is prohibited in basic and senior high schools – to “intentionally upload a video on social media where unprintable words that border on sex were spewed out.” As an organization which campaigns for and with children and young people to influence policies and change practices which …
Let’s Prioritise Safety of Children Online – Child Online Africa
ChildOnline Africa, an online safety advocate organization is predicting doom for Ghana and Africa’s security in the next few years if they failed to safeguard children in the online digital space. The Executive Director, Awo Aidam Amenyah, explained that if measures are not put in place to check the current issues pertaining to online activities, it will have dire implications on the country and the sub-region in the next few years. She said children are being groomed on internet fraud, while others are vulnerable to sexual exploitations which could lead to suicides and other negative activities online. “We have some …
We’ll Sue You – Child-Focused Advocates to Protection Services
The Executive Director of Child Online Africa, an organisation working to ensure that young people in Ghana are able to use technology and the internet safely and responsibly, Awo Aidam Amenyah has said child-focused organisations will soon begin a class action against institutions which do not work to protect the rights of children in Ghana and Africa. Online safety for children translates into the capacity of the child to use social media services and electronic services in a safe and protection-guaranteed manner from image-based abused contents. Mrs Amenyah was speaking at a day’s training programme for journalists on online safety …
You Need Your Child’s Say-So to Post Their Picture Online – Advocate
The Executive Director of Child Online Africa, Awo Aidam Amenyah has called on parents and guardians to seek the consent of their children first before posting their images on social media. At a day’s training for selected journalists on online safety for children organised by Child Online Africa and AF Academy held in Accra on Wednesday, 21 August 2019, Amenyah said it was wrong for parents to post their children’s pictures on social media arbitrarily. Child Online Africa is an organisation working to ensure that young people in Ghana are able to use technology and the internet safely and responsibly. …
Child Online Africa Partners AF Academy to Train Journalists
CHILD ONLINE AFRICA and AF ACADEMY have announced a collaborative effort to train Ghanaian journalists about online safety for vulnerable groups. The training for some selected journalists from media houses in Ghana is expected to take place this year. The objectives of the training are: To enlighten journalists on the rights of the child online. To equip journalists with latest advocacy skills for vulnerable people online. To highlight the need for child protection online. According to the two organizations, protection online for vulnerable groups like children is critical in an era where digitalization has become a powerful aspect of human …
Ghana: Child Online Africa Launches Digital Literacy Week
Accra, Ghana, July 10, 2019//- Digital literacy is the set of competencies required for all persons regardless of age and social status to be able to participate in the 21st Century knowledge society. It also includes attitudes and ethics regarding the use of digital devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs to interact with the larger society. 7 in 10 children use smartphone to access the Internet in Ghana and 42.7% of youth access news online but most of them are functional digital illiterate, according to UNICEF & DW-AKADEMIE. Because of this, if care is not taken, it will …
It’s Time to #ChangeDirection on Mental Health
The World Economic Forum estimates that mental illnesses will account for more than half of the economic burden of disease over the next two decades – more than cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases combined. In high-income countries, more than 35% of people with mental disorders receive no treatment. This rate can increase to 85% for those in low- and middle-income countries. Statistics from the Mental Health Authority in Ghana indicates that about four million Ghanaians, out of the estimated population of 28million are suffering from mild to severe mental illnesses, with treatment gap hovering around 98% of the total …
Safeguard The Rights of Children Now!
It is not easy to define “violence” or ‘abuse’ against children because children’s rights is violated in so many different ways depending on the context and culture. Children may suffer physical, emotional or sexual abuse and their rights may be violated through social media/Internet, in a family, an institution, a school, community or faith setting. The perpetrators of abuse vary from an individual adult, adults working together, another child, to a group of children. UNCRC 30TH ANNIVERSARY It is important to recognize that children are not one homogenous group but have varying levels of maturity and understanding. Article 3 of …
About Us
