Help us achieve the rehabilitation and reintegration of 15 children from trafficking and forced labor in Ghana.
Why Ghana?
The coastal communities of Ghana are source communities for children trafficked to Lake Volta, the largest man-made lake in the world. Fishing is a way of life in the communities along the coast, and as such many children pick up fishing skills at an early age, making them appealing to traffickers heading to the lake. The 2016 Global Slavery index estimates that there are 103,300 people in Ghana in modern slavery, and that 21,000 of them are children on Lake Volta. The majority of children are too young to legally conduct the hazardous tasks inherent in many aspects of the fishing industry. Approximately one-fifth of children working in the fishing industry are six years old or younger.
ODW + Challenging Heights
Years ago, 15 children were told they were going to live with someone who would care for them. They believed they were going to go to school and have a chance at a better life. However, they ended up on Lake Volta working for the fishing industry. Each morning, the boys and girls would rise before the sun. The boys would set out on the boats to cast enormous fishing nets and the girls would begin a day full of chores.
When their families learn about the realities of life for their children, they turn to Challenging Heights for help. Our partnership with Challenging Heights will support the rescue of these 15 children from forced labor. They will be brought to a recovery shelter where they will receive individualized care psychological and physical care to recover from their trauma. They will finally begin the schooling they were promised and can start to imagine a better future.
Challenging Heights seeks to end child trafficking in Ghana’s fishing industry by 2022 through prevention, promotion of human rights, and rehabilitation of trafficked children. This strategy includes education, medical care to treat water-related diseases, and psychosocial therapies to treat emotional stress children endure from being forced to work on Lake Volta.
Join us in empowering the rehabilitation and reintegration for 15 children from Lake Volta in Ghana.The progress bar above includes our intended match amount of $7,410 for a total granting goal of $14,820. Give today to double your impact!
Meet Kow
When he was young, Kow’s father died and his mother enrolled him in school. However, his mother found it difficult to care for her children alone. A woman came to Kow’s mother and told her that she would help her take care of her children. The woman asked to take two children to stay with her. Kow’s mother was given a small amount of money and a promise that her children would be enrolled in school. Instead of going to school, Kow worked on Lake Volta for four years casting nets, diving to untangle them, and scooping water from the boat. His mother found out the truth of his situation, reached out to Challenging Heights for help, and they worked to rescue Kow.
At the Challenging Heights Hovde House he said, “I feel safe and happy here in the shelter because nobody abuses me and there is no hard work here. I enjoy school, the games, and other activities in the house. In education, I am progressing. I can write and spell out my names, count and write numbers from one to one hundred, and also recite the alphabet.”
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