A project to combat the worse forms of child labour in Ashanti and Upper West regions has been launched in Kumasi by Planned Livelihoods for Economic Development and Global Equity (PLEDGE) Ghana, a non-governmental organisation based in Kumasi.
It is supported by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to tackle child labour issues in 10 districts and 20 communities in the two regions and provide 2,600 children with various services with livelihood components targeted at parents and guardians as well.
Executive Director of PLEDGE Ghana, David Atiga, at the launch explained that, the project was also expected to provide technical assistance to stakeholders including the Social Welfare, parents and guardians.
Mr Atiga noted that, the current trend of events where children were more exposed to hardships was making it more difficult to fight child labour in the country.
According to him, it was only education that would help enlighten the children and get them away from the worse forms of child labour and urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the free education policy.
Child Protection Specialist from UNICEF, Mr Antione Deliege, indicated that the launch of the project marked an important milestone of the fight against child labor in the country which has 30 per cent, representing two million children, still engaged in child labor.
The Asokore Mampong Municipal Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, Mrs Esther Apraku Nyarko, on her part stated that child labour was a serious problem in various communities that presented little hope for the future of the country.
She noted the menace should be tackled with a sense of urgency by both non-state and state agencies, adding that child labour was very preventable and so parents and guardians should do their best to avoid it.
FROM FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, KUMASI
