Accra, Nov. 12, GNA – Mr Will Lathrop, Country Director for International Justice Mission, Ghana, (IJM Ghana) has called for wider support through advocacy to eliminate the menace of human trafficking.
Holistic involvement of all stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking would quickly change the parameters and make the practice high risk activity which would then deter perpetrators.
IJM Ghana is a global Non-Governmental Organization that protects people in poverty from violence.
It partners local authorities in programme offices to combat human trafficking, violence against women, children and police abuse of power against the poor.
Mr Lathrop was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at this year’s annual conference of IJM Ghana “Arise Concert,” in Accra.
The concert was on the theme: “Tackling Human Trafficking: Our Collective Effort” was aimed at raising awareness and building momentum towards ending human trafficking in the country.
Mr Leonard Kobina Ackon, Director of Advocacy and Partnerships for IJM Ghana said this year’s concert was designed to use creative art to expose the problems and dangers of human trafficking and what could be done to support national efforts at ending it.
“Art such as music, skit, drama, poetry recital, and live painting among others were used to educate the public on the dangers of Human Trafficking and to raise awareness about it.
Mr Ackon said Human Trafficking was real and brutal thus the need for collective effort towards it elimination.
Some rescued victims of Human Trafficking shared their experiences, what they described as terrible and unpleasant.
One of them who could only be identified as Hope who was trafficked onto the Volta Lake at a tender age said he did not know anything about fishing but through vigorous beatings everything was learnt so fast despite being young.
“Full of anxiety and urgency I will dive into the lake trying to untangle the net. On series of occasions I would have to battle for my life in the process, but when you report it to the master, he will beat you so hard the next day, you have to venture into it again,” he said.
The concert was graced with electrifying Performances from gospel musicians such as Joy Sheila, Koda, Pastor Helen Yawson and Bethel Revival Choir.
Others were Pastor Ben Rosen Bush— Westwood Church (USA), University of Ghana School of Performing Arts (UG Legon), SAGA amongst others.
GNA