Builsa North Child Assembly: What Children Want Adults to Know

What would children ask adults to change if they had the opportunity to speak openly about their communities? In Builsa North District, one concern stood out: the impact of adult smoking and drug use on children's safety.

As part of the EPIC Project, the Centre for Learning and Childhood Development (CLCD Ghana) engaged children from 15 public and private schools through a Child Assembly designed to bring their concerns, experiences, and recommendations into discussions on issues affecting their lives.

During the engagement, children raised concerns about younger children being exposed to harmful smoke and gases from adults who smoke. Their contributions highlighted an important message: the choices adults make can directly affect children's health and the environments in which they grow up.

The discussions also covered other pressing issues, including access to education and healthcare, poor sanitation, child protection, and teenage pregnancy. By raising these concerns, the children demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where they can identify challenges and contribute ideas towards addressing them.

The Child Assembly forms part of CLCD Ghana's ongoing work through the EPIC Project to strengthen child participation and encourage decision-makers to consider children's perspectives in community development.

The takeaway from Builsa North is clear: when children speak about the challenges they face, adults must be willing to listen and turn those concerns into action.