Child trafficking: Hawa's story

ACCRA, 29 June (IRIN) - Ten-year-old Hawa comes from Ghana's rural and impoverished Northern Region. About three years ago, her parents, both peasant farmers, gave her to a wealthier aunt who lives in a city.

"Because I was living in a rural village, I was excited to go to the city," Hawa said.

But within a week of leaving her family, her aunt suddenly changed plans and she gave Hawa to a woman the girl had never met before, who then took her to western Ghana.

At the woman's house, Hawa discovered another girl, Larli, who was 14 and had also been trafficked. Hawa was quickly put to work with Larli, selling water in town or farming.

"We started preparing the water bags around 5 a.m. Even when you were sick you had to work. We would collect water from a pipe and then carry it in buckets back home. We'd put ice blocks in the water to make it cold. Then we'd bag the water and take it to the market. It was far from the house to the market. Once we sold all the bags, we'd return to the house to do it again. We would finish selling water around 3 or 4 p.m."

Some days the girls went to the family's farm. They planted and harvested peppers, corn, tomatoes and cassava. The woman had four children of her own but they never helped with any of the work - they went to school.

Once home after selling water or farming, the girls then had to prepare food for the woman's children and do house chores.

"The woman did all of her own cooking and the husband was gone most of the time. But we did almost all the cooking and cleaning for the children and ourselves," Hawa said. "Some of the children urinated in their beds and we had to clean that up. I was angry that I had to do all that work."

"If we didn't farm enough we'd get beaten. And if we returned home late the woman would lock the door and we'd have to sleep outside," she said.

But last March Hawa and Larli got a surprise. They were told they were being rescued, would be going to school - which neither had done before - and would be returned to their families. The girls were placed at the Department of Social Welfare's shelter for trafficked children.

"I like it here and have made friends. I like going to school. I've learned the alphabet, to sing songs, some English and to write my name." Hawa says she would like to be a seamstress.

No firm date has been set yet, but Hawa should be returning to her parents soon. She says she is very excited to be going home.