Rehabilitated fisher boys turn to cattle driving

Aglorkpovia, June 16, GNA - Some children from North Tongu District who were freed from child-labour in Yeji and other fishing communities have been sold into cattle herding by their parents. About 120 such children are herding cattle at Atsieve, Dendo, Yorkutikpo, Avorvi, Dorkploame and Fieve in the North Tongu District. Rev Walter Bimpong, Executive Director, International Needs Network, Ghana (ING), said this in an address read on his behalf at the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labour at Agblorkpovia. ING is implementing an International Labour Organisation (ILO) sponsored child anti-labour and child trafficking project in Ghana. Rev Bimpong said 246 children from the South Tongu District were trafficked into child labour in places including Yeji out of which ING withdrew and rehabilitated 149 and prevented 97 others from being trafficked.

He said the situation in neighbouring North Tongu District was worse. Citing Aglorkpovia as one of the communities still involved in aiding child trafficking, Rev Bimpong stated that children at Atravenu, Aglorkpovia and Kpenu were being burdened with jobs at the expense of their education. "At Kpenu where the highest level a girl could aim at in her education is primary six, girls are forced to abandon school on market days to sell," he said. He said the practice was closely associated with poverty, ignorance, traditional beliefs, illiteracy and misplaced priorities of parents. Rev Bimpong said under the ILO project, called the Time Bound Project (TBP), about 250 victims were withdrawn and enrolled in school and given all the support they needed while older ones and parents were assisted to acquire skills for productive work.