Mr Devine Opare, Central Regional Director of the Department of Children of the Ministry of Women and Children (MOWAC), has appealed to non-governmental organisations to collaborate, network and form partnership with MOWAC. He said this cooperation would enable these bodies to harness their efforts towards the protection, survival and development of children. Mr Opare underscored the importance of NGO's and stated that their role was crucial in complementing government's efforts at addressing the numerous challenges confronting the welfare of children. Mr Opare said this at the weekend at a forum of NGOs in the Cape Coast municipality that the Department of Children of MOWAC organised. It was aimed at interacting with the NGO's to know about problems militating against their ability to address issues concerning children's welfare. He said the Department of Children has over the years been collaborating with some NGOs in the region to deal with issues related to children's education, adoption and other areas concerning their welfare. Mr Michael Takyi of the Human Service Trust, an NGO, called on NGOs to network to enhance their work and promote togetherness. Ms Alberta Williams, an official of the Centre of Awareness mentioned funding as one of their problems. She said people's perception that NGOs had been given money to share in communities they were operating which, in most cases discouraged the people from co-operating with them, was also hindering their performance. Mr Dramani Mahama of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana advised NGOs to create awareness among chiefs and their elders as well as opinion leaders in communities they were operating in. Source: GNA