Techiman: The International Justice Mission (IJM), a non-governmental organization, is conducting an intensive training program for the Department of Social Welfare personnel in the Bono East Region. This initiative aims to bolster efforts to combat child trafficking, child labour, and exploitation across the region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the five-day training event in Techiman has convened 24 officers from the 11 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the region. The training is designed to enhance collaboration with key stakeholders to identify, protect, and support victims of child trafficking and exploitation.
At the opening session, Madam Shirley Issifu Dungu, Project Manager at the Tamale Office of IJM, highlighted that child labour, trafficking, and exploitation are significant offences that hinder the growth and development of children. She noted that statistics reveal a high prevalence of child labour in the agricultural sector, with approximately 63 percent of children involved in exploitative work within farming communities.
Madam Dungu cited a 2022 IJM study indicating that nearly 38 percent of children in communities surrounding the Volta Lake might have been trafficked. She emphasized the alarming nature of this trend, which poses a threat to the children's overall development. She also reminded participants of the serious legal repercussions under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694) for child labour, exploitation, and trafficking.
Mr Frank Adjei, Bono East Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, pointed out that many child labour victims are trafficked from the Northern and Volta regions to southern Ghana, particularly to work on the Volta Lake and in farming communities. He revealed a recent rescue operation involving a Nigerian child trafficked to Techiman and stressed the importance of stronger cooperation with security agencies to address the issue effectively.
Mr Adjei expressed concern over the lack of shelter facilities for rescued children in the region and urged for increased funding to enable the Department to fulfill its responsibilities effectively.