The International Justice Mission (IJM) has begun a capacity-building programme for personnel of the Department of Social Welfare in the Bono East Region to enhance their ability to identify, respond to and prevent child trafficking, child labour and exploitation.
The five-day training programme, being held in Techiman, has brought together 24 officers from the 11 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the region.
The initiative is aimed at equipping social welfare officers with the skills needed to work with relevant stakeholders in protecting vulnerable children, supporting survivors and developing stronger interventions against child exploitation.
Speaking at the opening of the training, Madam Shirley Issifu Dungu, Project Manager at the Tamale Office of IJM, said child trafficking and exploitative labour remained major threats to children’s rights and development.
She said children involved in exploitative activities were often deprived of education, proper care and opportunities needed for their growth.
Madam Dungu disclosed that available data indicated that child labour remained widespread in the agricultural sector, with about 63 per cent of children engaged in exploitative work in farming communities.
She also referenced an IJM study conducted in 2022 which found that about 38 per cent of children living in communities around the Volta Lake were likely to have been trafficked, describing the situation as a serious concern requiring coordinated action.
She reminded participants that child trafficking, labour and exploitation were criminal offences under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694) and urged stronger enforcement of laws protecting children.
The Bono East Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Mr Frank Adjei, said many children affected by trafficking were moved from parts of the Northern and Volta regions to southern Ghana, where they were subjected to labour activities including fishing and farming.
He revealed that the Department had recently rescued a Nigerian child in Techiman who had been trafficked into the country.
Mr Adjei stressed the need for closer collaboration among social welfare officers, security agencies and other stakeholders to effectively tackle child trafficking networks.
He, however, expressed concern about the shortage of shelter facilities for rescued children in the region, appealing for increased government and stakeholder support to enable the Department to provide adequate care for victims.
The training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s child protection systems and improve coordination among institutions responsible for combating trafficking and exploitation.
