Social welfare authorities in Ada have raised alarm over the growing number of vulnerable children being forced out of classrooms and into exploitative labour due to worsening economic hardship.
The concerns were highlighted during a child protection workshop organised by SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, where stakeholders disclosed that children as young as five years are being compelled to work to support their families before gaining access to food or education.
Officials revealed that many children are engaged in hawking in markets, working on farms and other forms of labour that expose them to abuse while depriving them of their right to education and protection.
District Director of Social Welfare and Community Development for Ada, Enoch Bampoe, identified child labour, child trafficking and sexual abuse as some of the major child protection challenges confronting the area.
“The major cases are child labour and sexual abuse. Some are seven, some are five, some are eight, some are nine and ten. When you ask, they say their parents do not have money, so they have to support them before they can get food or go to school,” he stated.
Mr. Bampoe further disclosed that some children continue to be trafficked under the guise of receiving education and better care. “They come with promises that they will take care of the child or give the child education, but at the end of the day the children are used for exploitative labour,” he explained.
According to him, many perpetrators evade arrest because they frequently relocate whenever authorities attempt to track them down.
“Because the perpetrators know the dangers involved, when you go after them, they relocate. Sometimes you get a tip-off and by the time you follow up, they are nowhere to be found,” he added.
District Head of Social Welfare and Community Development, Dotse Phillips, also revealed that many cases involve close relatives or trusted individuals who take advantage of struggling families.
“Most of the time, it is either family relatives or someone known to the family who comes with promises to help the child, but the primary motive turns out to be the use of the child as cheap labour,” she said.
Mr. Phillips noted that sexual abuse and child neglect continue to surface within communities, but many cases remain hidden due to fear, stigma and family ties.
National Advocacy Advisor for SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, Gloria Emeka, said the organisation is intensifying efforts to strengthen community child protection systems and empower vulnerable families.
“When we go to the communities, we empower families so that we can prevent issues of child abuse. We are also strengthening the capacities of child protection actors to ensure early detection and swift response,” she explained.
The workshop formed part of broader efforts aimed at promoting child welfare and strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms in vulnerable communities.
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