Investing In Children Brings Many Positive Returns- Mawuena Trebarh

The Chief Executive Office of Ghana Investment Promotions Council and the Corporate Impact Ambassador for the International Humanitarian Network, Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh -Ghana Investment Promotions Council has urged Corporations; local and international to unite in ending the needless suffering and avertible death of children in the African continent and beyond.

Mrs. Trebah was addressing eminent professionals, leaders and the business world at the World Trade Centre, Accra at the just ended African Humanitarian Fundraiser, Total Emancipation 2014-United Against Child Poverty held on 20th December, 2014.

According to the United Nations Children�s Education Fund, UNICEF, one billion children are severely deprived of, at least, one of the essential goods and services they require to survive, grow and develop. Some regions of the world have more dire situations than others, but even within one country there can be broad disparities � between city and rural children, between females and males.

�We have all heard about the �Africa Rising� phenomenon and the prospects it portends for our continent. Researchers and analysts say most of the world�s fastest growing economies are currently in Africa. With these huge potentials, the question that keeps begging for a speedy answer is: �How are we positioning and empowering our children to take over a �risen� Africa?� �She asked.

The Passionate Corporate Impact Ambassador for the United Against Child Poverty Campaign in Africa said sometimes and through no fault of theirs, companies could be extremely busy focusing on the crucial factors of production and how to meet or exceed the expectations of their clients that they forget about society, especially children. A few others who remember to implement their corporate social responsibilities often end at stop-gap donations to selected orphanages. Only a few organizations have woven a culture of social responsibility into their business agenda. They operate a systematic and sustainable social responsibility model and see their impact on society as a worthy investment.

Addressing the issue of child poverty she said �Child poverty is most threatening to children�s rights, survival, health and nutrition, education, participation, and protection from harm and exploitation. Poverty creates an environment that is damaging to children�s development in every way: mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Each deprivation heightens the effect of the others and when two or more of these coincide, the negative effect of children can be catastrophic�.

According to the United Nations: �Poverty contributes to malnutrition, which in turn, is a contributing factor in more than 50% of the under-five deaths in developing countries. Some 300 million children go to bed hungry every day. Of these, only eight per cent are victims of famine or other emergency situations. More than 90 per cent are suffering long-term malnourishment and micronutrient deficiency.

The first female underground exploration geologist of Ashanti Goldfields Company Ltd commended the efforts of the African Rights Initiatives International for re-directing the spotlight on the plight of children, whom, we generally regard as the leaders of tomorrow.

�Fighting poverty in children is to fight, with focus and compassion, the many problems that make the lives of children difficult: lack of access to education, lack of access to potable water, infectious diseases, malnutrition, and the list goes on� she stressed.

Talking about poverty gap she said in 1990, 36% of the world�s population, or 1.9 billion people, earned less than $1.25 a day. By 2015, the rate would have declined to 12 percent, a two-thirds reduction in 25 years. In essence, it means that by next year, one billion fewer people will be living in extreme poverty than we had in 1990.

�Now, who is going to help the next billion people and their children escape poverty? She quizzed. �This is where I will make a passionate appeal to the corporate world, especially those operating in Africa where an estimated 450 million people wake up in poverty each day. You can make a difference if you start right here and now! When we set out to fight poverty, be it through an individual's actions or through corporate philanthropy, we do this to a large extent out of a sense of compassion and love. She said that investing in children brings many positive returns and urged corporations, local and international do their best in incorporate this into their overall business growth strategies�

�But, there is then, the economic rationale to it: the lesser the people we have in poverty, the more people there are, to make significant contributions to the development of our society. The more children we rescue out of poverty, the brighter the hope of a risen and prosperous Africa.�

As a rising voice of hope and model of dignity and excellence for Africa Mawuena Trebarh leads as the Corporate Impact Ambassador for the United Against Child Poverty Campaign, a joint partnership continental approach led by African Rights Initiative International and it�s international partners. Mawuena works to ensure that every child has access to emergency healthcare, education, and life essentials that make the quality of life for the African Child. She shares in the ARII belief that global prosperity and peace will only be achieved once the entire world�s people are empowered to order their own lives and provide for themselves and their families. Her drive is to lead change for children in Africa; creating the necessary environment for their total development. Mauena uses her voice, influence and rich experiences advocating for more resources for the African child.

Source: Peacefmonline.com