Trafficked children return home

Cape Coast, Jan. 26, GNA-A total of 132 children from fishing communities in the Central Region, who were trafficked to Gambia and Yeji last year have since returned and some reconciled with their parents in Immuna and it surrounding villages in the Mfantsiman district of the Central Region. Mr. Joseph Benle Arkhurst, Regional Director of Social Welfare, who made this known to the GNA in an interview at Cape Coast on Friday said of the number 120 were brought from Yeji while 12 with the assistance of UNICEF were brought from the Gambia. He said the Department of Social Welfare, in collaboration with the International Organization on Migration (IOM) was able to reconcile 47 of the 120 children brought from Yeji with their parents and that about 50 percent of the returnees were still attached to guardians and are in school in Immuna and surrounding communities.

Mr Arkhurst however, regretted that 23 of the children have since escaped and attributed the situation to lack of proper care from the guardians they have been attached to. On children maintenance and custody related cases, he said a total of 349 child maintenance cases were handled by the department last year against 502 the previous year, whiles 85 child custody cases were also treated against 78 in 2005. The regional director said 50 paternity and 59 families' reconciliation cases were also handled last year, adding that eight children were given care and protection with another eight were enrolled in vocational training institution, adding that 24 juvenile cases were also handled and that 396 cases were redressed at the family tribunal.

He said 24 social enquiry reports were submitted to the courts and that 85 prisoners were also contacted of which 64 were counselled. On people with disabilities, he said a total of 156 people with disabilities, made up of 66 females and 90 males were sponsored with an amount of 318 million cedis from five district assemblies in the region.

He said 65 of them were given training in grass cutter rearing, 16 in leader and basketry work and 75 were trained in hairdressing and dress making. Mr Arkhurst expressed concern about child maintenance and trafficking cases in the region and called on parents to properly take care of their children to prevent them from being trafficked to be engaged in hazardous work.

"No matter your condition once you give birth to a child it is your responsibility to cater for the child, do not rely on your poverty and send your children to go and do hazardous work" he cautioned. He, in this regard, urged parents to consider the welfare of their children first before thinking of make-ups and funeral clothes, adding that parents of returnees should put a very "close eye" on their children to stop them from going back.