Partners of the Interfaith Shaping Hearts, Attitudes and Mindset to End Corruption in Ghana, (I-SHAME Corruption) campaign, have posted a positive outcome the project was making in the lives of basic school pupils.
The year-old project, has according to Hajia Ayishetu Adbul-Kadri, Chairperson of Forum for Action on Inclusion, Transparency and Harmony (FAITH) in Ghana, established 20 Integrity Clubs, two (2) in each of the former 10 regions and with current membership of about 3,500 pupils.
She noted at a media briefing on Wednesday, that the objective of giving exposure to the basic school children on cause and effects of corruption, and to uphold integrity as a priceless value in the fight against the canker was on course.
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Hajia Ayishetu, who doubles as the Secretary of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Ghana (FOWAG), underscored the essence of forming the hearts and shaping the mindsets of children to shun corruption in Ghana.
With more girls enrolling on the Integrity Clubs, the Chairperson of FAITH expressed delight about the prospect of the girls, who would soon be ambassadors and grow into responsible adults to shun corruption.
Similarly, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary of Caritas Ghana and Project Manager, noted that the quarterly assessment of the Club Coordinators of the Integrity Clubs were performing well in facilitating the pupils’ learning and reformation in the schools.
He noted that the interactive discussion sessions held between members of the integrity clubs in six out of the 10 former regions, some of the pupils who were aware of some effects of corruption, observed that “Corruption is hurting children disproportionately”.
Some of the pupils, according to the project manager, passionately spoke about “how they were being denied their basic entitlements for learning like decent classrooms, adequate furniture, textbooks, required contact hours and daily rations of food under the Ghana School Feeding programme.”
Likewise, some pupils also linked how corruption was causing filth to drown the country from poor sanitation and careless waste management.
Madam Cynthia Tagoe, Head of Legal Unit at the Ghana Education Service, who said she was impressed by the project outcomes, noted that efforts were underway to include Anti-Corruption in the curriculum of basic schools in Ghana.
With the efforts of forming children with integrity to shun corruption, Mr. Johnson Opoku, Director of Programmes at the National Commission for Civic Education, commended the I-SHAME Corruption in Ghana project.
He urged the media to take interest anti-corruption activities programmes and closely follow the I-SHAME Corruption in Ghana and the other anti-corruption programmes in the country.
By: Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng
