Crime Check Foundation (CCF), a crime prevention and human rights advocacy organization, has presented smartphones to members of its Community Monitoring Team (CMT) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
Numbering eleven, each member of the CMT from the Asokore Mampong, Kwadaso, Suame and Ejisu Municipals received a Tecno mobile phone.
The devices were presented to them on Tuesday, January 26, 2022, to make their reportage of rights abuses in their communities easier.
The move forms part of the implementation of the organization’s “Decriminalizing Vagrancy Laws and Advocacy” project in twelve Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra, Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana.
The project, which is funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) seeks to create an enabling environment for vagrants (the homeless and other poor and voiceless persons) to know, claim and exercise their rights. This is aimed at ending criminalization of vagrancy or homelessness in the country.
Presenting the phones on behalf of the Executive Director of CCF, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, the Project Manager, Cosmos Kwame Akorli, noted that the provision of the devices was to enable the CMT to monitor and provide relevant information on how vagrancy laws affect the homeless and other poor and voiceless persons in their communities through picture and video evidence transmitted to CCF.
Mr. Akorli acknowledged the critical role of the Team in complementing the efforts of CCF and OSIWA in promoting human rights.
He further noted that the information generated by the CMT from the communities would enable CCF to address human rights challenges identified. This he said will be done in collaboration with the project MMDAs, Justice Sector Institutions, and the Media.
He reminded the CMT “having dedicated phones to the project was to motivate them to visit areas where vagrants would often be found. This would also prevent excuses such as my phone memory s full.”
Mr. Akorli however warned the team to avoid the situation where politicians would want to take advantage of the project for their personal gains as it would defeat the objective of the project.
About OSIWA:
Established in 2000, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is a grant-making and advocacy organization focused on equality, justice, democratic governance, human rights, and knowledge generation. It is part of the global network of Open Society Foundations spread across 37 countries around the world.
By Rudolph Nandi
www.rudnankp4@gmail.com
