Using ICT to overcome language-based difficulties, Learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) for Children.

Participant
Published
  • 08-Feb-2016
Time period
  • February 2015  –  February 2016
Format
  • Stand alone document – Basic COP Template
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Active level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
 
  • Statement of continued support by the Chief Executive Officer
  • Statement of the company's chief executive (CEO or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the company's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.

  • I am pleased to confirm that Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nation Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Child Education, Anti-Corruption and Environment.

    In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

    Nicodemus Nalerrow Atsu
    CEO

Human Rights
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of human rights for the company (i.e. human rights risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on Human Rights.

  • Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC used the human rights tools from UN Global Compact to educates the four communities which about 40% is ignorance about Human Rights due to lack of education, marginalized and vulnerable gained re-gained their confident knowing their rights. Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC organised workshop to empower victims of Asiawkrom, Akwane Dobro, Yaw Djan and Yaw Edipa (AADYDYE) communities Women, children, disables etc to enable them realize their rights through education, social and Human rights awareness by collective action. The Four (4) communities that benefited from the project were: Asiawkrom, Dobro, Yaw Djan and Yaw Edipa (AADYDYE) all of Nsawam District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Their main occupation is farming and petty trading; (AADYDYE) are all along Nsawam Aburi road.Violation against children and women is very high, injustice against Children and women is very high, child labour is very high, child abuse is very high, women abuse is very high, women are not allow to take leadership position and women are not allow to contribute in decision making. The strategy and objectives of the program is to sensitize parents, wives, husbands, civil society, media, Police, doctors, elected representatives, community leaders about the inhabitants and vict Rights and Human Rights from grass root level to district level.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement Human Rights policies, address Human Rights risks and respond to Human Rights violations.

  • The Chiefs of the four communities have taken the responsibility to
    1. encourage Human Rights Education campaign aimed at community mobilization and social empowerment.
    2. research and thorough investigation
    1. Integration of victims to families
    2. periodical Capacity Building to sustain the project
    3. Sustainability plans using periodic monitoring, evaluation and refresher course
    4. Involve all the security agencies

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • The level of the reported cases has reduced by 15%, we will achieve the maximum results if we are able to:
    1. address CHILDREN and Women Rights and psychological consequence on the children and women now and future
    2. sensitised civil society institutions on (AADYDYE) issues so that they could positively engaged in redressal of social justice.

    Opportunity 2 Excel Limited will continue to provide an advice on legal procedure to the local cases of violence against Human rights. To promote and raise social justice issues at various levels through (AADYDYE) organisations and community leaders at village, block and regional levels. To reduce or eliminate all forms of children and women violations of human rights
    3. promote a human rights culture in society by working towards the empowerment of the (AADYDYE), women, children and civil society and law enforcement agencies through education and awareness and protecting (AADYDYE), women Rights , child Human rights through legal intervention.
    4. Empowerment of the marginalized, especially (AADYDYE) and the vulnerable, marginalized sections of the society to enable them realize their rights through collective action in Eastern region of Ghana, starting from the grass root level.
    5. To make positive and creative relationship with public and law enforcement agencies through Human Rights awareness to state accountability

Labour
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of labour rights for the company (i.e. labour rights-related risks and opportunities). Description of written policies, public commitments and company goals on labour rights.

  • Opportunity 2 Excel believed that Child Labour can be eliminated/reduce in Ghana if infections such as guinea worm has been eliminated or reduced by 99.5%, malaria has been reduced, TB has been reduced drastically even spreading of HIV/AIDS virus and mother to unborn baby/ies transmission has been reduced due to certain practices and education put in place by government, institutions etc and obeyed and practice by individuals.
    Child sexual abuse has been linked with a variety of psychiatric disorders in childhood and continuing into adulthood. The emotional toll on children who witness threats or violence against others can be substantial, especially when those involved are familiar to the child and the violence takes place in the home. Children may be affected when they witness domestic violence, regardless of whether or not they are directly abused.
    How could we give work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to harm the health, safety and causing mental disability of children whiles the child suppose to be at school? We work 8 hours per day but children who work domestically work 18 hours per day, they wake-up early and sleep late, they cook all the delicious foods in the house but eat the left over food, their are under-pay, rape, beaten and no medical attention.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions taken by the company to implement labour policies, address labour risks and respond to labour violations.

  • Since 2014 OTEF we have been piloting the Learning Information And Computing Technology to Succeed and have seen dramatic improvements with most of the students increasing their ICT ability. started a program to meet the needs of vulnerable streets children in rural communities in Ghana. We implemented a project which aims to deliver targeted support to help children living and working on the streets, force to child labour, collecting rubbish, begging, working in stone quarry field, in prostitution and distributors of drugs to improve their situation and to give them the chance for a better future.

    Child Labour Yaw Edipa – Nsawam http://youtu.be/LqkWbijTvnE

    http://www.ghanamma.com/opportunity-2-excel-donates-to-dobro-presby-school/ (Sponsored by Vodafone Ghana Foundation)

    http://youtu.be/APgyWFkCSQk

    http://youtu.be/LlK3g_1gMHE

    http://youtu.be/Gw9ANGI4okk

    http://youtu.be/APgyWFkCSQk
    http://youtu.be/LlK3g_1gMHE

    The implementation were carried out with Ghana education service, Parents and Teachers Association, head teachers and management of the district Assemblies.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • School enrollment has increased by 20%, child labour has reduced, parents and guardians are taken their responsibility. Some rural children are now using computers as their peers in the urban communities.

Environment
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of environmental protection for the company (i.e. environmental risks and opportunities). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on environmental protection.

  • Ghana is likely to lose its forest cover in less than 20 years if the rate of deforestation, estimated to be 65,000 hectares per annum persists, latest information from the Ministry of Lands and Forestry has indicated.

    Ghana's total forest cover, which stood at 8.2 million hectares (34% of the total land area) at the turn of the last century has decreased to 1.6million hectares.

    Disclosing this in an interview with The Chronicle, the Technical Director of the ministry of lands and forestry, Mr. Fredua Agyeman, said currently over 80% of the total land area, which was originally covered with humid tropical forests has been degraded.Read more at: https://www.modernghana.com/news/39959/1/ghana-likely-to-lose-forest-cover-under-20-years.html

    The above publication motivated Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC, Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC proposed project takes a targeted and strategic approach to strengthening the protected area system.
    The project addressed:
    1. focus on protection of the biologically-rich protected area system
    2. Wildlife Conservation
    3. Preservation of Biodiversity
    4. Natural Resources
    5. Specially plant protection (plants used for medicinal purposes)
    6. Burning of lorry tires
    7. Environmental protection
    8. Sustainable forest management
    9. Target the major immediate threats to biodiversity
    A. which are unsustainable wildlife harvesting
    B. insufficient protected area management capacity and resources and
    10 Address the root causes, which are
    1. Lack of protective measures in the areas of management, capacity and resources;
    2. Lack of community awareness of the magnitude of biodiversity loss and of the social and biological consequences of over-exploitation of wildlife and over-harvesting of non-timber forest products.

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement environmental policies, address environmental risks and respond to environmental incidents.

  • We engaged opinion leaders, The Forestry Commission of Ghana, wildlife division, Resource management support centre, Wood industries Training Centre, Timber Industry Centre and Environmental Protection Agency - Ghana, chiefs, opinion leaders, hunters to sustain what we have done.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates environmental performance.

  • The project have achieved its objectives. This is the following outcomes of the project;
    1. Sustainable and effective management that reflected in large quantity of indicator wildlife species and medicinal plants for more sustainability for future use
    2. As soon as possible to stop or eliminate inhabitants dependence on exploitation of natural resources (is on progress and is part of medium and long term measures)
    3. Increased support for wildlife, natural resources and biodiversity conservation in touristic and non touristic communities, reflected in sensitizing in conservation awareness and involvement of inhabitants in conservation activities, including training and wildlife monitoring
    4. Capacity building workshop were organised for natural resource, biodiversity wildlife and conservation management.
    5. Restoration of 50% of medicinal plants species, 35% of restoration of animals/living things species and 70% of restoration of forest, 30% biodiversity and 55% for natural resources is one of our priority but it has been added to the long term and medium term program. Ghana depends on herbal medicine because is cheaper, common and provide employment

Anti-Corruption
  • Assessment, policy and goals
  • Description of the relevance of anti-corruption for the company (i.e. anti-corruption risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on anti-corruption.

  • The reason of this policy is to establish controls to make sure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and corruption regulations, and to ensure that the Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC business is conducted in a socially responsible manner.

    2. Policy statement

    Corruption and Bribery is the offering, promising, giving, accepting or soliciting of an advantage as an inducement for action which is illegal or a breach of trust. A bribe is an inducement or reward offered, promised or provided in order to gain any commercial, contractual, regulatory or personal advantage.
    It is our policy to conduct all of our business in an honest and ethical manner. We take a zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. We are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships wherever we operate and implementing and enforcing effective systems to counter corruption and bribery.

    We will uphold all laws relevant to countering bribery and corruption in all the jurisdictions in which we operate. Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC takes Bribery and Corruption as punishable offense for individuals. If we are found to have taken part in corruption, we could face an unlimited fine, be excluded from tendering for public contracts and face damage to our reputation. We therefore take our legal responsibilities very seriously.

    We are grateful to United Nation Global Compact Principles, before Opportunity 2 Excel Limited, LLC joined United Nation Global Compact the organisation has no documented anti-corruption policy to monitor corruption in our activities.
    This policy covers:
    - Bribes;
    - Corruption
    - Gifts and hospitality
    - Facilitation payments;
    - Political contributions;
    - Charitable donations/contributions

  • Implementation
  • Description of concrete actions to implement anti-corruption policies, address anti-corruption risks and respond to incidents.

  • Concrete actions to implement ant-corruption policies, address anti-corruption and respond to incidents are:
    1. Training and communication across the organisation from the low-level management to top executive management
    2. Who is responsible for the policy? We appoint leaders from Procurement department, account and audit due to the previous experience we had when we were bidding for public supply contract.
    3. Protection
    4. How and where to raise a concern
    5. Financial Record-keeping
    6. Staff and stakeholders responsibilities, we all must ensure that we read, understand and comply with this policy.
    The prevention, detection and reporting of bribery and other forms of corruption are the responsibility of all those working for us or under our control. All employees are required to avoid any activity that might lead to, or suggest, a breach of this policy.
    Every body business to notify the manager OR the Company Secretary or the confidential helpline as soon as possible if a staff believe or suspect that a conflict with or breach of this policy has occurred, or may occur in the future.
    Any employee who breaches this policy will face disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal for gross misconduct. We reserve our right to terminate our contractual relationship with other workers if they breach this policy.

  • Measurement of outcomes
  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates anti-corruption performance.

  • The Company Secretary, procurement officer, accountant and auditor is monitoring the effectiveness and review the implementation of this policy, regularly considering its suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. Any improvements identified will be made as soon as possible. Internal control systems and procedures has subjected to regular audits to provide assurance that they are effective in countering bribery and corruption.
    All employees are responsible for the success of this policy and has ensured they use it to disclose any suspected danger or wrongdoing.

    Employees are invited to comment on this policy and suggest ways in which it might be improved. Comments, suggestions and queries has been addressed to the Company Secretary.