PROJECT #131
Project #131 | Rehabilitations for Trafficked Children in Ghana
Our partnership with Challenging Heights
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.
We partnered with Challenging Heights to support and empower survivors of human trafficking on Lake Volta. Through our partnership, we helped achieve the rehabilitation and reintegration of 15 children from trafficking and forced labor in Ghana. Upon rescue, these children were brought to the Challenging Heights Hovde House, where they received individualized psychological and physical care to help them heal from their trauma. After significant progress in their recovery, many children were finally able to begin school or apprenticeship work again and start to imagine a better future for themselves.
Our collective impact
Children Receiving Prevention Education
Children Rescued
Children Received Aftercare
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.”
Thank you for making this possible!
Our movement is grassroots, to us that not only means the work on the ground is led by local leaders with the support of the community, but it also means that we raise the funds for our projects through everyday donors just like you. In addition to all the donors that gave $25, $100, or $250 and the campaigners that ran a race or donated their birthday to raise funds, we also want to thank our generous business, school, and faith sponsors who believed in our work and joined the movement.
If you want to support future projects like this you can make a donation to our human trafficking fund.
One Day's Wages is a grassroots movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty
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