School pupils register displeasure over child trafficking

More than 500 pupils of the Anglican Basic Schools in Accra at the weekend embarked on a seven kilometre walk on Child Trafficking to raise awareness on the plight of trafficked children in the country.

The float which was spearheaded by the Anglican Diocese of Accra in partnership with the American Embassy saw the school children marched through some principal streets of Accra displaying placards some of which read: ‘’Fight Child Trafficking’’, ‘’I am Not For Sale’’, ‘’End Modern Day Slavery’’, Child Trafficking is Illegal’’, ‘’Children Are Not Salves’’.

Reverend Father Edward Foli Adade, the Director for Youth and Children Ministry of the Anglican Diocese of Accra in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the walk formed part of activities of an intense five-year campaign by the Church and the United States Embassy to combat child trafficking.

Rev. Fr. Adade said the walk was to create awareness about child trafficking which mostly happened in the coastal belt of the country.

He expressed concern about how some irresponsible parents engaged their children in ‘slavery’ due to poverty and cautioned that the practice was against the child’s rights and freedom which should be discouraged.

He said the unlawful act must be avoided for the betterment of the children who are the future leaders.

Mr Rustum G. Nyquist, the Political Officer, Embassy of the United States of America Embassy expressed the unflinching support of the Embassy to help eradicate the menace saying child trafficking was robbing Ghana of its next generation of leaders adding that every child has the right to education to develop his or her full potential.

Mr Leonard Kobina Ackon, the Church and Community Relations Manager of International Justice Mission, Ghana said child trafficking required the collective responsibility of every Ghanaian in ending it.

‘’This is not something we must allow to go on and we must not say it is culturally acceptable because it is an upfront to the dignity of a child and denies children of education, health, leisure, dignity, rights and every good thing that a child needs to survive’’, he said.

Ms Victoria Natsu, the Acting Executive Secretary, Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection appealed to parents to understand the need to love their children and take proper care of them.