United Way Ghana
Human trafficking is a global problem, and Ghana has long been used as a location of origin, passage, and destination for men, women, and children forced into labor and sex trafficking. Approximately 22% of children in Ghana are engaged in some form of child labor. Of these, 60% of them have been trafficked on Lake Volta. Despite Lake Volta’s reputation, it is slowly becoming a site of hope and resilience.
The Courageous Crew is made up of 21 survivors of trafficking on Lake Volta. They are members of the Ghana Survival Network, a partnership between United Way Ghana and the International Justice Mission. The Anti-Child Trafficking project was launched in Senya-Beraku, a fishing community in the Awutu-Senya District in Ghana’s Central region. The project aims to create awareness about human trafficking, provide educational and economic support to survivors, and equip them for Ghana’s fight against human trafficking. It also seeks to form an advocacy group to combat child trafficking in underprivileged communities in Ghana while creating a platform for survivors to come together and share their stories and also encourage one another.
And they have. The survivors have undertaken a series of training on topics such as storytelling, advocacy and community organizing against Child Trafficking. They have become integral to building relationships with enabling institutions such as the department of social welfare, the police, and the community leaders.
Jerry Isaac Amoh, a survivor of human trafficking and a member of the courageous crew says, “We have been empowered by United Way Ghana and International Justice Mission for the fight against human trafficking and child labor. We now have the courage to begin this fight and have been well equipped and also have the enthusiasm to succeed. Let us all come together to support this mission so that it goes very far. I am grateful to United Way and the International Justice Mission for this intervention.”