Stakeholders urged to work towards elimination of child trafficking, marriage
Stakeholders have been called upon to collaborate and work towards the elimination of child trafficking, marriage and exploitation (CTME) in the country.
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This is necessary because every child has the right to education, health and protection, irrespective of their social background.
The Executive Director of Assemblies of God Care-Ghana, an NGO, Ernest Ning-Bo Asigri, made the call at a day’s stakeholders’ review meeting on CTME at Sang in the Mion district in the Northern Region.
The project thrives on awareness creation of the risk of child marriage, trafficking and exploitation which poses a security threat to child development.
Present at the event were assembly members, security agencies, volunteers, human rights advocates, the media, women’s groups and district assembly staff, among others.
Efforts
Mr Asigri said incidents of child trafficking and exploitation had become a global canker that needed concerted efforts and stringent policies to deal with.
He said apart from robbing victims of their dignity, CTME also curtailed the freedom of children and hampered their overall development.
“The perpetrators of this crime exploit their victims who are vulnerable due to poverty and deprivation,” Mr Asigri added.
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He also expressed worry that most young girls were being forced into early marriages, with some children being sold out by their families, while others were enslaved at quarry sites and households, as well as some women trapped in the sex trade.
Mr Asigri added that some boys were being forced to fish in dangerous waters “and paid virtually nothing for their pains”.
He said further that because of the crucial role communities played in CTME, there was a need to actively engage, cooperate and involve them in the fight against the menace.
Volunteerism
For her part, the Northern Field office team leader of the organisation, Frieda Billa, said 119 community members had been mobilised to serve as community CTME volunteers in areas such as Kinimo, Jilo, Jarido, Nadundo, Dakpam, Kaliya, Bachabordo, Taali, Demonayili, Sakpe, Sambu, Sang, Gilisiya, DC Kura, Kuliguduli, Ganguyili and Kabliya.
She said the volunteers had been trained in child protection, using the adult learning cycle model, documentaries, short videos, buzz groups, fish bowl, story circles and the balloon game.
Also, Ms Billa said 10 community drama clubs were established, comprising 200 children, 20 traditional leaders and their kinsmen from 10 project communities, among other issues.
She added that a child protection plan had been designed to help both the organisation and community members to effectively integrate child protection issues into social protection systems.
Ms Billa also said through the CTME project, 110 girls had been rescued and put on social intervention programmes such as vocational skill training in dressmaking and braiding, among others.