By Isaac
Arkoh, GNA
Cape Coast, July 29, GNA – More than 49,000 of
the estimated 100,000 children entrapped into modern slavery of child labour are
operating on the Volta Lake in the country.
Mr David Kofi Ewusi, the Country Director of
Engage Now Africa, a Child protection and welfare Non-Governmental Organisation
(NGO), has disclosed.
He said out of the figure, 21,000 were engaged
in hazardous labour that was dangerous to their health and threatened their
lives.
Mr Ewusi, who was speaking at a public
sensitisation durbar for school children in the Cape Coast Metropolis on the
menace of child trafficking, said modern slavery was occurring everyday and
everywhere involving about 1.8 million children.
The sensitisation programme was organised by
the Central Regional Police Command with support from Engage Now Africa on the
theme: “Am aware, you can’t traffic me.”
It formed part of their collaborative mission
to engage and strengthen individuals, families and communities to end poverty
by instilling hope through education, self-support assistance, and eradication
of all modern forms of slavery.
Mr Ewusi said the psychological effects of
child labour on victims are enormous adding that “sometimes it is extremely
painful to look at scars at the back, thigh, forehead and stomach of some of
the victims of exploitation”.
The practice, he said, remains a “silent
nightmare” among victims as innocent children went through worst forms of
torture, molestations and denial of education, food and shelter.
Mr Ewusi said the practice of engaging
children for hazardous activities was a violation of their rights and illegal
according to the Human Trafficking Act, 2005.
Divisional Commander of Police (DCOP) Paul
Manly Awini, Central Regional Police Commander, outlined measures instituted by
the police to effectively tackle the menace of child trafficking and child
abuse in the Region.
This included the appointment of desk officers
in all Divisional Headquarters and some districts to receive and investigate
cases of human trafficking across the Region.
Additionally, Police patrol team at various
check points have been embolden to be vigilant to detect children who are being
trafficked in vehicles and other means of transportation.
The Regional Commander said his outfit shall
continue to embark on public education effort especially among children to
effectively reduce the increasing phenomenon of child trafficking, abuse and it’s
attending debilitating effects.
DCOP Awini said “most of the children
being trafficked to inland fishing communities along the Volta Lake are being
used in menial jobs such as disentangling fishing nets under the water, which
is very detrimental to their health and wellbeing.”
He cautioned parents saying “schools are
about to vacate and intelligence gathered so far point to the fact that, it is
during this period that most children are trafficked to Yeji in the Brong Ahafo
Region and its environs under the pretext of them going to visit their parents
and come back when school reopens.”
He advised parents to desist from selling
their children or giving them out for work at tender age, adding that, “every
child is born with a great potential in him or her, but it is up to parents and
guardians to help them unearth their potentials”.
He underlined the immense contribution of
Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the fight against child trafficking in the
Region and rallied the unalloyed support to remedy the inhumane practice.
GNA