By: Ubaida Awudu
Phase two of a community-led initiative geared at strengthening child protection systems in targeted cocoa growing areas to adequately prevent, manage and empower children to resist worst forms of child labour has been launched in Accra.
Nicknamed “Children in Rural Communities Are Learning and Empowered, CIRCLE” Project, will among other interventions build the resilience in children and support safe school and community environments for children to promote enrolment and retention.
The CIRCLE Project which is the brain child of FAIRTRADE AFRICA, an International Cocoa Initiative working with certified producer organisations in 28 countries across Africa and the Middle East, provides livelihood interventions for farmers in targeted communities.
The idea is to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of children in cocoa growing communities through self help initiative that are impact driven to build their resilience.
FAIRTRADE AFRICA believe that with education and regular awareness targeted at leadership, communities can own the project and steadily benefit from an equitable and integrated child protection system.
With funding support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, FAIRTRADE also empowers cooperatives to implement child labour monitoring and remediation systems.
Anthony Bright Kwakugah is the Senior Project Manager for FAIRTRADE AFRICA.
The Head of Region, FAIRTRADE AFRICA, Edward Akapire told GBC NEWS that promoting social protection for children in cocoa growing communities is a shared duty in that their involvement in social discourses builds their resilience since no one can better articulate their concern better they do.
He called for zero tolerance to child labour and hinted on plans to build up on its success story chalked during the first phase.
In her remark, a representative from the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the GES, Gifty Sekyi commended FAIRTRADE and its implementing partners for the bold initiative and urged them to buy into some same school projects on sexual harassment awareness and prevention, which it hope to implement in earnest.
The CIRCLE project is targeting 12,700 children in 36 cocoa growing areas. They include Asunafo North Farmers Cooperative Union and the Asetenapa Cocoa Farmers Cooperative. The Project has Tony’s Open Chain and Max Havelaar Netherlands among other certified producer organisations as its implementing partners.
Launching the initiative, the Head of Region, FAIRTRADE AFRICA, Edward Akapire said the first phase of the project implemented between 2018-2021 was a success.
Whilst encouraging the formation of child right clubs in schools, he hinted plans to scale up initiatives that serves as platform for children to partake in PTA activities as demonstrated in the first phase.
