Africa-Press – Ghana. Journalists and media practitioners in the Oti and Volta Regions have been called upon to raise their voices against child labour in fishing and cocoa production areas.
This call to action was made during a media engagement in Dambai.
The engagement was organised by “My Rights, My Future, Partners in Community Development Programme (PACODEP) and Alliance for Community Resilience and Development, funded by the European Union (EU).
Speaking on child labour reporting, Mr. George Achibra, Executive Director of PACODEP, emphasised the media’s crucial role in raising awareness and pushing for policy changes to protect children.
Speaking against the child labour, Mr. Achibra noted that child labour remains a significant issue in Oti, Volta and Ghana at large, with many children engaged in hazardous work in sectors such as fishing and cocoa production areas.
He encouraged the media to shed light on these issues, highlighting the plight of affected children and the need for collective action.
The executive director of PACODEP urged government agencies and international donors to establish funding for investigative journalism, providing training and resources for journalists to monitor remote communities where this hazardous work occurs and report.
Mr. Bagonluri Kibuka, the consortium manager for the three non-government organisations, highlighted that a collaboration with the media and law enforcement agencies would assist the organisers in their mission to drive away child labour in the area.
He also said the organization is working tirelessly to prosecute traffickers and combat child labour particularly in the Oti and Volta Regions.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the workshop, Mr. Kibuka, said the goal is to create a safer environment for Ghanaian children and bring perpetrators to justice.
Mr. Isaac Selasi Ahadzi, Communication Specialist for Right to Play Ghana, stressed that every individual has a role to play in protecting children’s rights and preventing child labour.
He said My Rights, My Future is committed to combating child labour and promoting children’s rights.
“I urged chiefs, religious leaders, clergy, government, media and communities to join forces in addressing this critical issue,” he said.
Journalists who participated in the workshop on child labour reporting expressed gratitude to the organisers and partners for the training and enlightenment.
Again, the journalists appealed to government agencies and international donors to involve the media when engaging with communities, citing the importance of first-hand information and on-the-ground reporting.
The workshop, which focused on child labour issues in local communities, equipped journalists with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively report on this issue.
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