A total of 332 children have been rescued from child labour and trafficking in fishing communities in the Central and Greater Accra regions since 2022.
This was disclosed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SOS Children’s Villages Ghana (SOS CV Ghana) held in Accra on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
The meeting brought together board members, management, partners, donors, association members, and corporate representatives to review the organisation’s performance for the past year and outline future interventions.
The National Director of SOS CV Ghana, Mr Alexander Mar Kekula, said the rescues took place in Awutu Senya in the Central Region and Ada West in the Greater Accra Region under the “Protecting the Future” project, which began in 2022 and ends in December this year.
Mr Kekula also announced the launch of a new project in May 2025, dubbed “Protecting Children at Risk of Losing Parental Care”, implemented in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Norway and funded by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
The five-year project is expected to support 6,000 children and 2,000 caregivers in Ada West, Ada East, Ekumfi, Adaklu, and Sene West districts.
According to him, the project will train 15 Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs), support eight civil society organisations, and provide emergency relief services when needed.
Mr Kekula said SOS CV Ghana, through its alternative care project, is currently providing direct care for 526 children in its Villages at Tema, Asiakwa, Kumasi and Tamale.
In addition, 6,486 children in 1,592 households are receiving support through the Family Strengthening Programme, with more than 32,000 others benefiting indirectly.
He further announced new initiatives, including the PUNBO Project, which focuses on food security, active fatherhood and child protection, and the SpeakSmart with Akelius Project aimed at improving language learning for 3,000 schoolchildren in Tamale.
The Board Chairperson of SOS CV Ghana, Mr Christian Appiah, commended the organisation for its resilience in the face of economic hardship and reduced international funding.
He noted that the organisation had managed its resources more prudently, strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, and introduced a new communications strategy to increase visibility and address the misconception that SOS Children’s Villages is a wealthy organisation.
Mr Appiah also announced the establishment of an Ombuds Office to strengthen transparency and safeguarding. He urged members of the National Association to play active roles in sub-committees to enhance governance.
Reports presented at the AGM indicated that 85 young people from SOS CV Ghana are currently enrolled in universities, 59 in senior high schools, and 25 at the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College, while 33 others are either employed or running their own businesses.
Looking ahead, the organisation said it would expand local fundraising, collaborate with other NGOs, and engage the diaspora to mobilise additional support.
