2025 UNGA: Lordina Mahama Urges Global Action to Protect Vulnerable Children

Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has appealed for stronger global collaboration to safeguard vulnerable children and create a peaceful world that nurtures future leaders.

Speaking at the annual prayer service for peace and hope for children on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, September 22, 2025, Mrs. Mahama stressed the urgent need for decisive leadership to protect children facing unprecedented challenges.

She noted that scaled-back funding, deepening mistrust in institutions, and ongoing conflicts have left many children—especially those in Africa—exposed to poverty, violence, and exploitation.

“We gather here from different nations and cultures, but we are united by our shared faith. Through prayer and decisive leadership, we can create a world where every child is protected and empowered to achieve their full potential,” Mrs. Mahama said.

The First Lady expressed particular concern for children trapped in armed conflicts and humanitarian crises across Africa, where they lose parents, homes, and dreams, often bearing lifelong emotional scars.

“These are precious lives destroyed by circumstances beyond their control. When nations fail to prioritize policies that safeguard families, strengthen communities, and nurture the youth, it is our children who suffer the most,” she emphasized.

Mrs. Mahama also highlighted the work of the Lordina Foundation, her non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting orphans and underprivileged children in Ghana. She urged global leaders, philanthropists, and faith-based organizations to replicate such initiatives to bring hope and lasting change.

The prayer service, organized by World Vision International in partnership with the World Council of Churches, Caritas Internationalis, and other faith-based groups, was attended by dignitaries including Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration, and officials of the Lordina Foundation.