Cocoa growing areas in Suhum to benefit from child labour interventions

Suhum (ER), July 28, GNA - Ten Cocoa growing communities in the Suhu= m Kraboa Coaltar District in the Eastern Region are to benefit from the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) child labour intervention programme under its Cocoa Community Project (CCP).

They are Dome, Sowatey, Kwadwo Hum, Mfranta, Obuoho, Okonam/KwabenaKumi, Oboadaka, Tei Mensah, Densuso and Mamehyeso. This was disclosed by Mrs Stella Ofori, Principal Labour Officer of th= e Labour Department of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Suhum on Wednesday. She said the project would assess the situation regarding child labour and the economic situation of families before the implementation of the interventions commences. She said findings would be made on the enrolment of children in school= s in the area and teacher-student ratio for universal basic education and improvement of post=96basic education in the communities. Mrs Ofori said the CCP would develop a comprehensive monitoring system to evaluate the implementation of the interventions being provided. She said the interventions would include awareness=96raising and development of community action plan, access to relevant education, improve= d and diversified livelihoods, child labour monitoring systems and capacity building in the communities.

The Principal Labour Officer said the project sought to create a model that could be replicated in other cocoa growing communities to eliminate th= e worst forms of child labour.

Mrs Lalaina Razafindrakoto, Resource Person from ILO, urged the District to seize the opportunity provided by the project to make the difference in the Region, particularly when 18 per cent of children were engaged in one hazardous activity or the other. "Eight per cent are believed to take part in hazardous work in cocoa production such as working on farms, where toxic chemicals are sprayed, carrying or handling of heavy loads," she added. Mr Bright Appiah, Executive Director of Child Rights International, said his organization had established child rights clubs in all districts where they were operating since child labour constituted an infringing on their rights.

He said children were also educated to understand their rights and responsibilities when it came to working at home. Mr Appiah called on all stakeholders to join in the fight against chil= d labour.