Two farming Communities in the Sunyani West Municipality, Kwatiri and Adentia have been identified as hotspots for child labour in the Bono Region.
The Area is also a hotbed for teenage pregnancies and school dropouts among children under 18 years, making it necessary for traditional leaders, NGOs and other individuals to join hands to fight the challenges.
The Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Senior Programme Officer for General Agriculture Workers Union of TUC, Paschal Ajongba Kaba revealed this on the sidelines of the inauguration a 14 Member Committee setup by GAWU to spearhead a campaign against child labour in the two Communities as Ghana joined the Globe to celebrate World Day Against Child Labour on Friday, 12 June.
World Day against Child Labour focuses on the negative impact of child labour. Children under 18 in most farming communities in Ghana are used for hazardous work on the farm.
Globally, it is estimated 151 million children are involved in Child labour with about 71 percent in the agriculture sector. This is why the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC has taken upon itself to help minimise child labour by creating a Child Labour Free Zone in the country.
To mark World Child Labour Day, a 14-Member Community Child Protection Committee has been setup in Kwatiri and Adentia in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono region by GAWU to monitor and fight child labour in the communities.
The two communities according to GAWU have been identified as hotspots of Child labour hence the setting up of the Committees.
The Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Senior Programme Officer for GAWU, Paschal Ajongba Kaba, stated, “Child labour is very high in mining and cocoa producing communities and called on Ghanaians especially parents to desist from such acts.”
The Chairman of one of the Committees who is also the Krontihene of Adantia, Nana Kwame Boakye said, the issue of child labour in the area is a worry to them which has brought about an increase in teenage pregnancies in his community. A teacher at Kwatiri M/A School, Alex Appau said, class six and JHS one dropouts find themselves in child labour due to financial constraints.
Story filed by Daniel Donkor.
