UN Prayer Service: Lordina Mahama calls for global unity to protect children

First Lady Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama has urged the international community to work together to safeguard children’s future. She stressed the need for peace, security, and opportunities that will enable them to thrive.

Speaking at the annual interfaith prayer service for children at the Tillman Chapel of the Church Centre in New York, held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Mrs. Mahama said the challenges facing children are compounded by reduced funding for essential services, declining trust in institutions, and an erosion of hope. She warned that without decisive action, the world risks betraying its responsibility to the most vulnerable.

“We gather here from different nations and cultures, but we are united by our shared faith,” she said. She added that through prayer and strong leadership, “we can create a world where every child is protected and empowered to achieve their full potential.”

The First Lady described the suffering of children caught in wars and humanitarian crises, particularly in Africa, as heartbreaking. “These are precious lives destroyed by circumstances beyond their control,” she lamented. “When nations fail to focus on policies that safeguard the home, strengthen communities, and nurture the youth, it is our children who suffer the most. They are the ones who lose parents, siblings, homes, dreams, and carry emotional scars that can last forever.”

Mrs. Mahama also spoke of her personal advocacy through the Lordina Foundation, which supports orphans and underprivileged children in Ghana. She expressed optimism that with broader support, such initiatives across the globe could significantly impact millions of young lives.

She closed her message with a prayer, asking for divine protection and provision for children everywhere, while calling for kindness, opportunities, and hope for their future.

The prayer service was organised by World Vision International in partnership with the World Council of Churches, Caritas Internationalis, the Episcopal Church, and other leading faith-based organisations.