IOM and its partners this week reunited another group of 25
trafficked children with their families.



Working with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs
(MOWAC) and other local partners, IOM organized a reunification
ceremony for the 25 children and their families in Ekumpoano in the
Central Region of Ghana.



The children were rescued in January and had spent the past
three-and-a- half months in receiving comprehensive rehabilitation
assistance, which included psychosocial counselling, medical
assistance, and educational instruction at the Department of Social
Welfare’s Rehabilitation Centre in Accra.



IOM’s Counter Trafficking Field Manager, Eric Peasah said,
“The reunification took place on the International Day of the
Family, so it had special significance for all those present. The
day was used to highlight the importance of families, with a focus
on fostering equality and bringing about a fuller sharing of
domestic responsibilities.”



Also in attendance were the Minister of Women and Children’s
Affairs, Hajia Alima Mahama, other high-ranking officials, local
opinion leaders, representatives from the District Assembly, local
NGOs, the media, and the public.



The Minister told the parents to take responsibility to ensure the
growth and development of their children and urged the community to
be vigilant to ensure that the children are not re-trafficked. She
also asked the children to be ambassadors of anti-trafficking
activities in their communities.



Since the project began in 2002, IOM has managed to rescue,
rehabilitate, return, and reintegrate 612 trafficked children who
had been working in hazardous conditions in fishing communities
along Lake Volta.



IOM has focused on awareness-creation, sensitization, and
consensus-building on the issue of child trafficking for labour
exploitation in 25 fishing villages around Lake Volta. IOM also
identified, registered, and interviewed the children and the
fishermen. The next step was assessing the needs of the parents to
determine the level of micro-credit assistance needed to care for
their children. Skills training workshops also were organized in
order to identify potential ways in which the parents could expand
their existing trades or establish small-scale enterprises.



The US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and
Migration has provided financial assistance in the amount of USD
1,280,000 to IOM to support the rescue, rehabilitation, return, and
reintegration of the children.



Following a programme on French television, a study visit by Korean
journalists, an article in the New York Times, and an entire Oprah
Winfrey Show devoted to the plight of the fishing boys, private
donors have contributed more than USD 350,000 to provide additional
support to the 612 children already rescued, as well as sponsor
individual children and contribute to the rescue of more children.
Private donors also have sent school materials, clothing, toys, and
other in-kind donations for the children.



For further information, please contact



Eric Peasah

IOM Accra

Tel: + 233.20.812.6696; or 233.242.170.827

Email: "mailto:epeasah@iom.int">epeasah@iom.int