The Country Manager of the Volta Revival Foundation, Mr Julius Odoi Amesimeku, has revealed that his Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) rescued 15 trafficked children engaged in child labour activities at Yeji and Akosombo in 2023.
The NGO, whose operations were centered around Ada in the Greater Accra Region, found out that the 15 children, who were natives of Ada-Foah, Wekumagbe, Azizanya, and Totimekorpey in Ada-East and West districts, were being used for fishing and animal herding activities.
Mr Amesimeku, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the Foundation had since reconciled the children with their families and ensured their immediate reenrollment in school.
The ambition of the Foundation, he said, was to eliminate all forms of child abuse in the region.
The Foundation, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), had rescued, rehabilitated, and reintegrated about 55 children in the same districts.
Some communities in Ada had been identified by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection as ‘hotbeds’ for the trafficking of children to the Volta Lake for fishing, Mr Amesimeku said.
He called on the Government to institute a strong child protection net for children with community and family members.
GNA
LS/CAA/ABD
8 Feb. 2024
Caption: TM016 Children Trafficking Pic 1
