Mrs Joan Gawuga, a social worker at the weekend asked the government and other stakeholders of children's issues to facilitate the provision of shelters for abused and under-privileged children. She said child abuse is a phenomenon that should be discouraged since its effects on the victims are devastating. Mrs Gawuga was speaking at a ceremony to mark the Universal Children's Day, which was on the theme: "Raising Awareness on Child Abuse." She said with care, love and counselling abused children can grow up into responsible citizens. Mrs Jane Irina Adu, Founder of the Shelter of Women's Refuge and Child Survival Africa (WORCSA), noted that shelters play a very significant role in every country since the facilities help the government to take care of abused victims, the homeless and less privileged in the society. She said WORCSA was established to provide a safe haven for victims of domestic violence and abuse and improve the livelihood and welfare of the destitute, especially women. Mrs Adu explained that the celebration of the day was significant to Ghana because of the prominence of children's issues in the Millennium Development Goals and the high rate of abuse against children in the country. She said since children are the citizens of tomorrow's world, their survival protection, and development should be the primary goal of every family and nation. As part of the day some children marched through some principal streets in Dodowa after which they were treated to food and drinks and other fanfare. Universal Children's Day is one of the oldest UN celebrations, which was established in 1954 to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. Source: GNA