Engage Now Africa sensitizes Cape Coast youth on child trafficking

The queen mother of Efutu, Krontihemaa of Ogua Traditional Area, Nana Amba Eyiaba I has challenged the youth to be resilient and strongly committed to studying books so as to break the barriers of poverty to become successful leaders in the future.

“For you to become successful leaders in the future, you must set your priorities right, stay away from sexual activities and bad friends and be serious with your academic works. Make use of the existing opportunities at your disposal and don’t let anything take you away from your books or education; keep on learning hard” she stressed.

Nana Amba Eyiaba I made the call while addressing the youth at education and sensitization durbar on the theme: “School for Children, Work for Adults” at the Oguaa Teachers’ Hall, Cape Coast in the Central Region.

The durbar, an initiative of Engage Now Africa, an International NGO committed to ending poverty in Africa and beyond seeks to educate the youth on tricks, techniques and strategies traffickers use to lure unsuspecting victims into child trafficking in Ghana.

With focus in ending modern slavery thereby eradicating poverty in Ghana, Engage Now Africa has held similar forums in some parts of the central region using education, prevention and advocacy as its three main pillars to empower people against child trafficking and its menace in the country.

Addressing the youth at the durbar, David Kofi Awusi, Assistant Director of End Modern Slavery, Engage Now Africa cautioned the youth to be vigilant and question suspecting child traffickers with juicy job offers and quickly report to the police for their apprehension.

“If they come to you with promising job opportunities, scholarships, educational opportunities, football offers or whatever, you must do is to first question and scrutinize them to see if they are actually telling the truth before taking any action in order to avoid being enslaved to them” he emphasized”.

For his part, the Regional Coordinator of DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service in the Central Region, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Appiah Sakyi called on individuals, stakeholders and corporate entities to partner with the police force to roll out a number of sensitization programs to educate the youth on their rights. He appealed to the youth to equally collaborate with the police in order to help fight crime in the Region.

Meanwhile, the Central Regional Director of Social Welfare, Mr. D W Acheampong has professed quality education as the solution to tackle child labour in the Region. He therefore called on government and other stakeholders in the country to ensure children get access to quality education at all times.