Challenging Heights opens office in Tamale

A not-for-profit organisation that fights child trafficking, Challenging Heights, has inaugurated an office in Tamale to expand its operations and fight against child labour and trafficking in the area.   

It is expected to consolidate the presence of the NGO in the northern sector and facilitate the implementation of key project activities aimed at improving the lives and welfare of children, vulnerable women and youth.

Inauguration

Inaugurating the facility, the Programmes Director of Challenging Heights, Enock Dery Pufaa, said child trafficking and child labour were rampant in most communities in the area and that it was committed to addressing the menace.

Beyond that, he indicated that the NGO intended to work towards addressing issues such as climate change, environmental degradation, poverty among others which had a direct impact on children and the vulnerable in society.

He said his outfit conducted a survey to explore key issues of child trafficking, child labour and other issues that affected children and it was revealed that these were very prevalent in northern Ghana.

Mr Pufaa indicated over 2000 children have been rescued from slavery and have been rehabilitated, reintegrated and monitored for the past years.

"We are offering complementary programmes in livelihoods and skills training focused on empowering women and young people economically to achieve financial independence to fight poverty, a root cause of modern slavery" he noted.

He added that the organisation had also empowered more than 5000 women and youth from various parts of the country through vocational skills training, business support and cash transfer support, adding that the beneficiaries had now started their businesses.

He, therefore, called on other NGOs in the northern sector to partner them to help protect the rights of children. 

Protecting children rights

For his part, the Advisory Board Member of Challenging Heights, Mamudu Kenneth Khelwini said the organisation had done well in protecting the rights of children and vulnerable in many parts of the country.

"Child labour is a problem that we all have to fight and support both parents and NGOs that are here to help us because one of the key reasons why parents don't send their children to school and use them in very hazardous ways is because of poverty," he said. 

Writer's email:mohammed.fugu @graphic.com.gh