The Kuapa Kooko Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited (KKFU), has pledged to prioritize the eradication of Child Labour in Cocoa-growing areas of the country.
The leadership of the union said it would continue its collaboration with Government, Cocoa partners, local and international stakeholders towards the elimination of child labour, and worst forms of child labour in all cocoa grown localities.
[contextly_sidebar id=”9mL5FwUKjO0VD5kZb9U7TINCmLJlgjlk”]According to the leadership, the KKFU child labour unit through its five (5) year remediation plan, is committed to ensure that children at risk of entering into child labour are prevented, withdrawn and protected.
The union has in the course of the season intensified sensitization and awareness creation programmes through extensive radio discussions and community engagements on the consequences of child labour.
Acting Executive Secretary of the KKFU, Nelson Adubobour, speaking at the 23rd Annual Delegates conference of the union in Kumasi, revealed that follow-up visits were done by the unit to forty seven (47) cocoa communities for a detailed sensitization and awareness creation.
He indicated that a watchdog machinery which is the community child protection committee has also been re-organized in 15 communities.
“KKFU in conjunction with Millennium Promise Alliance have developed a full fledged Project proposal titled “Kuapa Kooko Back To School Project.”
This project seeks to introduce innovative local interventions to increase access, enrollment, quality and retention of children in schools in at least 12 cocoa districts in Ghana. Plans are underway to seek funding opportunities for its implementation”.
Mr. Adubobour pledged the commitment of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Management of the KKFU to support a comprehensive healthcare delivery to all Kuapa Kooko farmers.
President of the KKFU, Fatima Ali, has encouraged young women in the country to venture into cocoa production.
According to her, the “Young Women in Cocoa Production” was initiated to empower young women, help them gain access to land, own a cocoa farm in order to be self-independent, grow domestic economy, enhance food security and have good standard of living in the future.”
Twenty-two (22) young women have participated with a total land size of twenty one (21) acres within four operational zones since the inception of the project.
Nine thousand and four (9,004) plantain suckers have been planted on all the fields.
Madam Ali said plans were underway to get a partner to support the project to enable its expansion.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana