Caritas-Ghana, a development and humanitarian agency of the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference (GCBC) has held a stakeholder meeting in Tamale to dialogue to facilitate the resettlement and reintegration support for vulnerable population especially the Kayaye, during this Covid-19 pandemic.

The forum was to serve as a platform for these vulnerable people, civil society groups, government and the media to look at how they can have a more coordinated response to the pandemic, especially young women who are caught up in difficult situations in cities like Kumasi and Accra.

Caritas-Ghana since March 2020 has undertaken a range of interventions as part of the GCBCs covid 19 emergency response plan.

They have supported vulnerable groups like head porters with food, shelter among others to help as they go through this trying times of covid-19.

Caritas-Ghana is currently working with Development Organization on Migration and the Street Children’s project to provide skills for vulnerable young girls who are returning from kayaye, adding that they are partnering with MMDAs and other stakeholders to provide sustainable support for the girls.

The forum headed by Caritas-Ghana in partnership with African Development Organization on Migration in Tamale and the Street Children’s project in Kumasi and funded by Star-Ghana collated views on efforts they can use to help minimize migration of young girls to urban centers.

The views included mentorship for the young girls, education of their parents on the dangers of travelling for menial jobs, enforcing of by-laws by the various assemblies and developing social safety net for the vulnerable.

The rest included introducing more vocational centers, marketing centers among others.

Speaking at the forum the Executive Secretary of Caritas-Ghana Samuel Zan Akologo said the covid 19 pandemic continues to hit hard at the poor and the vulnerable who must work every single day before they can survive.

He said it’s even worse now considering the general economic situation of the country.

The Director of AFDOM Aminu Munkaila said his organization in their own small way have offered professional counseling to these vulnerable girls.

He said they have also supported the girls with entrepreneurship skills to help them better their lives.

Munkaila appealed to parents to desist from the practice of giving out their children to other relatives for grooming because these relatives he said end up forcing them to cities for menial jobs.

Rev. Sister Olivia Umoh of the Street Children Project in Kumasi said per their investigation poverty is the main course of the migration of these vulnerable girls, especially those from the northern region.

She said the inability of parents to feed and educate these girls also force them to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Rev Sister Ovilia advised parents to live up to expectation in caring for their children no matter the level of poverty.