Slavery and child labour persist in Ghana
Sharing a powerful story
Meet Joe, 10, and Kwame, 12, brothers who were sold by their mother to a fisherman; Kobina, a 21-year-old fisherman whose family forced him to drop out of school at 14; and Charity, 27, who was sold to traffickers as a child and is still haunted by the memories. The youth are part of a photo essay by The Guardian, which highlights the plight of nearly two-million young people in Ghana forced into child labour.
Ghana isn’t the only country that employs child labour. According to the United Nations, more than 168-million children worldwide, aged five to 17, were engaged in child labour in 2012.
Last year, Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC) organized a national stakeholders conference on child protection with international partners, followed by a communiqué sent to government explaining why children under the age of 17 should be attending school rather than working. CCFC also advocates globally, as a member of ChildFund Alliance, to help children realize their rights and keep them safe from violence and exploitation. Visit freefromviolence.org.