By Victoria Agyemang
Senya Bereku (C/R), July 24, GNA – United Way Ghana a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that seeks the welfare and growth of the vulnerable group in collaboration with International Justice Mission (IJM) have supported more than 40 trafficked survivors economically.
The education and economic empowerment support was geared towards assisting and facilitating recovery process of survivors to empower them lead campaign to fight human trafficking.
Of the number, 20 who were between the ages of five and 17 received educational items including school bags, uniforms, shoes, exercise and note books, sanitary pads and stationeries to assist their schooling.
Others who are part of the courageous crew, a survivor network group at Senya Bereku in the Awutu Senya District were assisted economically to empower them to become financially independent.
Some were supported with an undisclosed amount to start-up mobile money business, get documents to begin driving school while others received assistance to learn a skill such as carpentry, hairdressing and dressmaking depending on their dream businesses.
They were given hairdressing kits, equipment and sewing machines.
Two were given full scholarships to further their education at the University and Senior High School, respectively.
Mr Felix Kissiedu-Addi, the Executive Director of United away Ghana in his remarks said the gesture was in line with their mandate to work and assist vulnerable groups that needed support for growth and development.
He said his outfit together with IJM were poised to changing the status quo to ensure survivors got the best after survival to make use of their unleashed potentials for their development.
United Way Ghana had begun an advocacy initiative named anti-child trafficking illiteracy project to help educate survivors with basic English language skills before joining the school due to their age differences.
Mr Kissiedu-Addai advised beneficiaries to make use of the opportunity to pave the way for other survivors to benefit for the betterment of themselves.
The children must re-build the confidence and take advantage of the opportunity by learning hard to prove the world wrong on the negative perceptions they have about survivors.
He encouraged parents and guardians to re-orient themselves by advising and encouraging the children to put in a lot of effort into whatever and wherever they found themselves to make everyone proud.
On the part of IJM, Mr Foster Kojo Wolarnyo, Director of Advocacy and Partnership at IJM encouraged the survivors to speak up to change the narrative to protect the other children within various communities.
He urged society, especially community leaders, to support the advocacy action by the survivors and assist them to reach out to more people to save more children from trafficked.
Mr Wolarnyo pledged his outfit’s commitment to fight human trafficking to the barest minimum to ensure children enjoy their full rights, freedom, and protection in the country.
IJM is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence, and in Ghana, it also partners and supports authorities to combat human trafficking by equipping institutions and law enforcement agencies to investigate and respond to cases of trafficking.
GNA