TWO non-governmental organisations, Songtaba and ActionAid Ghana have drawn up a programme to work closely with the various district assemblies in the Northern Region where witches camps are located to effectively help and respond to the concerns of the alleged witches.
Dubbed “Exit Plan and Sustainability Strategy” the programme will be implemented between now and 2015, to help build the confidence of the alleged witches, mostly women and children who are confined to the six witches camps in the Northern Region. The non-governmental organisations are Songtaba and ActionAid.
As part of the programme, the two organisations will increase awareness of the women on their rights, as well as co-ordinate with the district assemblies to set up responsive budget to meet the social needs of the inmates in the short to medium term.
The promotion of a violence free environment for children staying in the camps, as well as enjoying rights to education devoid of stigmatisation will also be enhanced under the plan.
The six camps are located at Gnani in the Yendi Municipality , Kukuo in the Nanumba South District, Bonyansi in the Central Gonja District, Gambaga in the East Mamprusi District, Naboli and Kpatinga all in the Gushiegu District.
Since 2006, Songtaba together with its partners have been playing leading roles of working in these camps with the aim of empowering the alleged witches to live dignified lives and enjoy their respective basic rights including participating in the decision-making process in a violence free environment.
The organisations have been facing such challenges as alleged entrenched and insensitive attitude of some personalities, particularly in state institutions’ response to the needs of inmates at the various camps.
Indeed, that problem had affected the response to myriad of problems facing the alleged witches thereby leaving them in abject poverty.
Inadequate funds to support the immediate needs of the women in all the six camps is another challenge while re-integrating these women accused of witchcraft into the society also hangs in a balance although the two organisations have been advocating the effective implementation of laws such as the Domestic Violence Law.
Inspite of these challenges, the two organisations have been able to facilitate the payment of the annual premium of the National Health Insurance Scheme for alleged witches at the Gnani Camp in Yendi in 2007.
It is also heart warming to note that, through the efforts of the two organisations, the six alleged witches camp with a total population of 674 inmates were enlightened on their rights.
Between 2007 and 2010, the two organisations facilitated the cultivation of maize in the six camps as a way of helping to provide enough food for the alleged witches.
An Alleged Witches Network called the Ti-Gbub’taba Women’s Network was introduced to intensify lobbying and engagement with government authorities and other development agencies to make life bearable for the inmates.
Reflect Circles were also introduced in the Gnani camp at Yendi to help raise the awareness on the rights of the alleged witches.
At a recent meeting of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Tamale, the Programme Officer of Songtaba, Madam Adam Lamnatu, intimated that “the work with alleged witches" camps is a key activity in the strategy of mobilising women in the overall objective of Songtaba’s partnership with ActionAid to curb violence against women and children”.
Some of the participants at the meeting expressed concern about the brutalities being meted out to the alleged witches and resolved to help address the issue.
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