NGO hands over rescued children to their parents in Sankor

Winneba C/R) Oct 12, GNA - Twenty-one children who were rescued by Challenging Heights, an NGO operating in Winneba, from risky forms of chi= ld labour were on Saturday re-united with their families at a ceremony in Sankor, a suburb of Winneba. Mr James Kofi Annan, Executive Director of the NGO, who presented t= he children to their parents, said his organisation, had for 48 days, provid= ed psychosocial counselling to the children and had made provision for their=

educational needs for 12 years. The educational package include school bags, uniforms, books, footw= ear and food items. Mr Annan said the children, aged between eight and 17, were rescued=

from various fishing villages along the Volta Lake. "Their families have also been given some micro-support to enable the= m to undertake alternative economic activities which would ensure the continuous care of their children," he said. This is the first batch of kids to be rescued, he said. Fifty more children are expected to be rescued from the various fishing communities in Yeji and its environs. Mr Annan appealed to the government to enforce the Human Trafficking Law, and the Children's Act to ensure that their efforts made to rescue t= he children would not go to waste. Mr Godwill F. Acquah, Effutu Municipal Director of Social Welfare, w= ho received the children on behalf of the families, said Effutu, Senya, and Otuam ranked among the highest communities in child trafficking. He advised parents to plan their families to avoid giving birth to t= oo many children who they would not be able cater for. This would save them from giving them to people to use them in thei= r businesses or homes to the detriment of the children's health and educati= on, he added. He commended Challenging Heights for their efforts at protecting th= e rights of children, adding that it had been the pride of the Municipality=

since it was established some five years ago. Mr Acquah urged the parents to utilize the support given to them by t= he NGO judiciously to ensure the continuous education of their children. The Effutu Municipal Assembly pledged its determination to partner wi= th Challenging Heights to root out child trafficking and other worst forms o= f child labour in the Municipality. The parents of the children were full of praise for Challenging Heigh= ts and promised to take good care of the children in schools. Neenyi Kojo Tetteh III, chief of Sankor, who chaired the occasion, urged people in the area to send their children to school for them to bec= ome useful future citizens.