The Reverend Mrs. Jemina Amanor, Country Director of Compassion International, a non governmental organization that takes care of poor and vulnerable children on Wednesday said child neglect was the biggest crises facing the world today.
She said it was the very children who were neglected that became armed robbers, terrorists and pursue other social vices that tend to hurt the society.
Rev. Amanor therefore urged leaders especially, those in politics to use the platform to advocate for children especially those from poor families.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the fifth anniversary of Compassion International, she said: "children are innocent and the society needs to protect them against abuse and neglect and provide safe and nurturing environment for them to flourish."
Compassion International is five years old in Ghana and there are series of activities lined up to celebrate the anniversary of the NGO.
Rev. Amanor said the organization was currently nurturing 24,000 needy children in the Greater Accra and Central Regions and said it would soon expand its activities to the Eastern Region.
She said the organization works with churches that identify the needy children. The Churches use their premises as Child Development Centres where the selected children meet every Saturday to learn.
"Compassion International, Ghana's target is to register and nurture 43,600 children in 186 child development centres by the end of year 2012."
Rev. Amanor said: "The children go through a programme called: "Child Development through Sponsorship Programme", and are trained with Christian principles with the hope that one of them will rise to become the President of Ghana in future".
"If you are not already an advocate for children, this is the time to join hands with us, as we celebrate five years of holistic child development in Ghana", she said.