Challenging Heights over the weekend rescued 18 more trafficked children from the Lake Volta. Already, the organisation has rescued over 1,500 in the last twelve years.
These 18 children, who are between the ages of 5 and 17, are currently going through rehabilitation at the organisation’s rehabilitation centre.
Child trafficking in the fishing industry has been a problem for the Ghanaian government for several decades. It is estimated that there are over 21,000 working children on Lake Volta alone, and there are several thousands more going through various forms of abuse.
In 2005, the Ghanaian government passed the Human Trafficking law, making human trafficking a criminal offense, punishable by at least five years imprisonment.
Challenging Heights works in several communities across Ghana, to rescue, rehabilitate and re-integrate children who have been affected by worst forms of child labour, including trafficking. The organisation, which recently launched its new 5-year strategic plan, is also involved with the provision of livelihoods training and support for several hundreds of women who are affected by trafficking.
It is hope that the government would provide the necessary resources for the Human Trafficking Department of the Ghana Police Service, and the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, to have the capacity to deal decisively with the issue of human trafficking, especially in the fishing industry.
–
Credit: Challenging Heights