By Yussif Ibrahim
Nyinahin (Ash), May 10, GNA – Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation implementing a project aimed at eliminating forced and child labour in selected cocoa and mining communities, has reminded stakeholders that the exploitation of a child to work denies an adult an income.
The future of such children, according to the organisation, is also traded for immediate financial gains by perpetrators and called on stakeholders to collectively stand against any practice that could jeopardise the future of children.
Mrs Joyce Poku-Marboah, Senior Project Manager of Rainforest Alliance, made the observation at a quarterly meeting of stakeholders involved in the project at Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.
With funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Rainforest Alliance is implementing the “Tackling Forced and Child Labour in Ghanaian Cocoa and Gold Mining” in Atwima Mponua, Atiwa East, Bibiani-Anwiaso-Bekwai and Wasa Amenfi West Districts.
Under the project, stakeholders across the cocoa value chain and gold mining associations are engaged in the fulfilment of commitments of government and companies in addressing human rights, gender issues and child labour to create more resilient farming and mining communities.
The project has over the past three years, provided adequate support for government agencies in social protection and law enforcement, cocoa companies, traders, cooperatives, farmer groups, and gold associations to implement measures to help prevent, identify and address forced and child labour in their operational activities.
Other key state institutions such as the Ghana Education Service (GES) the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and the District Assembly are also playing diverse roles in protecting vulnerable children and adults under the NORAD-funded project.
Some participants during the quarterly meeting called for steps to build a school at Ampenkro to save children in the community from the daily routine of trekking several kilometres to attend school at Nkromah.
They argued that the situation put their children at high risk of child labour.
Three mining companies including Golden Mining Company, Taassato Mining Company and Yiadom Company Limited were on hand to share their perspectives on the fight against child labour.
They took turns to recount various support they had provided communities including toilet facilities, community centres and remediation kits for in-school children to reduce child labour.
Mrs Poku-Marboah underlined the need for Assemblies to incorporate child labour and child protection issues in their medium-term plans.
They must also make commitments captured in their long-term plans available to communities at no cost to enable them to monitor the implementation with keen interest.
She encouraged the NCCE and other stakeholders to keep communities informed about opportunities such as scholarships and free apprenticeship training that were available to them in the district.
Madam Aba Oppong, Executive Director of Rights and Responsibilities Initiative Ghana (RRIG), local partners of the project, said 15 schools in the project communities had been selected to be equipped with children’s rights and responsibilities education.
She said 30 women had also been selected by their communities to be trained in income-generating activities to support economic independence for their communities.
The establishment of Village Savings and Loans has helped women mobilise their own funds to support the education of their