A non-governmental organization, ActionAid Ghana (AAG), has successfully rescued two children who were trafficked into the country for exploitative labor.
One of the rescued children is a 14-year-old girl from Togo, who was saved about two months ago in a farming community in the Jaman South Municipality. The other is a boy from Burkina Faso, who was rescued in the Banda District of the Bono Region during the same period.
Nana Afram Denkyira, the Bono East/Ahafo Regional Programmes Manager at ActionAid Ghana, explained that with the support of the Department of Social Welfare and other relevant institutions, these minors have been safely returned to their respective home countries.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Nana Denkyira expressed deep concern that child trafficking remains a prevalent issue in the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions, as well as in some other parts of the country.
ActionAid Ghana organized a media engagement event held at Abesim near Sunyani to sensitize the media and gather their input on a project titled “Combating Modern Slavery,” which is being implemented in the Bono Region.
This three-year multi-country project, also implemented in Ethiopia, focuses on identifying, preventing, and strengthening policies related to anti-slavery, child trafficking, child labor, and exploitation, among other objectives.
“Slavery is still going on in parts of the country. The ancient disgusting practice has taken a modern trend, mostly common in cocoa and cashew growing communities,” Nana Denkyira said, and called on all to help bring the situation under control.
“In fact, we need a collective, concerted and decisive approach to tackling the growing trend of this modern slavery in a more proactive manner,” he stated.
Nana Denkyira conveyed deep regret over the fact that innocent and unsuspecting children, who are recruited or trafficked for farm labor, endure severe human rights abuses. He stressed the importance of collective efforts from everyone to combat this unacceptable practice within the country.
Nana Denkyira recognized and appreciated the invaluable contributions of the media towards the successful implementation of the project. He expressed optimism that the media would persist in their advocacy roles to ensure the project’s successful conclusion by December 2023.