The victims with their family members
Four children, two boys, and two girls have rejoined their families after being rescued by an NGO, End Modern Slavery (EMS) in collaboration with the Police and the Social Welfare from Human Trafficking.
End Modern Slavery of Engage Now Africa (ENA), an international non-governmental organization that seeks to prevent and combat human trafficking and end poverty in Ethiopia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and Department of Social Welfare carried out the exercise.
According to reports, the two boys names withheld are of ages 10 and 13 years old and were trafficked by a family member identified as Rose, a trader from Berekum-Senase in the Bono East Region to stay with her in Accra to school.
But the trader instead of sending the children to school as she promised their parents rather sent her 8-year-old daughter to school at Ofankor in Accra and engaged the little boys in street hawking.
However, an informant who observed the incident hinted the Director of Operations End Modern Slavery, Afasi Komla, who hinted the Eastern Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service and the Social Welfare who went to their rescue.
The suspect was then arrested for further investigation, it was revealed that she has been sending Ghc30 to the boy’s parents in Berekum every month.
About the Girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, one was sent from Akim-Aboabo in the Birim Central Municipality to engage in gari business at Amanase in the Ayensuano District by a businessman, and the other was also brought from Adeiso.
The Director of Operations of End Modern Slavery, Mr. Komla who went to the rescue of these four children, provided survivors’ livelihood support funds for them.
He also took them to the hospital for medical checks and also donated a sewing machine to one of the female victims.
He tasked parents not to shroud issues of Child Labour since it perpetuates all other forms of child abuse and crime around the world and they should desist from such practice.
He said “Many victims of human trafficking have had traumatic post-rescue experiences during interviews and legal proceedings’.
“In their attempts to get help, they have experienced ignorance, misunderstanding, victimization, and punishment from offenses their traffickers had them commit’’.
He added that through the foundation, they have been able to help in identifying and saving victims and supporting them on their way to rehabilitation by putting a lot of measures in place to eradicate this crime.
According to Afasi Komla, freedom is a fundamental human right, adding that “It is what Engage Now Africa stands for and what makes us human. Yet across Africa and the world at large, this right has been stripped”.
Lydia Ohenewa, the child Assessment officer at ENA, concluded by showing gratitude to the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Sam Malouf family for their donation made to Engage Now Africa.
BY Daniel Bampoe