Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

The project will protect children from being trafficked in the future and will encourage a culture where child trafficking and child labor exploitation are not viable options for supporting the livelihoods of families or fishermen.

Project Message

Whatever money you give me, I will use toward the childrens’ education so that they can have a better future. One day they will point at you and say "if not for your help, we would not be who we are.
- Nana, Mother of two trafficked boys

Who is Running This Project

Organization

US Association for International Migration (USAIM) 1752 N Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036 United States 202-862-1826 x. 253 http://www.usaim.org

Learn more about US Association for International Migration (USAIM) and the project team.

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in Ghana and can also be found under Children.

For more information about Ghana, read the Human Development Report on Ghana or the Wikipedia entry for Ghana.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on August 08, 2008.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on September 24, 2007.

Latest Update from the Field

36 Children Rescued in January Return Home

By Jennifer Asuako - Senior Project Assistant, August 07, 2008 05:11 PM

All 36 children rescued in January this year (2008) were successfully reunited with their families on the 15th of May, 2008 and began their reintegration process. May 15th is the International Day of the Family and a particular emphasis is placed on the responsibilities of fathers towards their families. Every year, IOM Accra reunites rescued children with their families on this special day in order to highlight the importance of the family in promoting and protecting the rights and development of children.

Several stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental agencies were present at this year’s ceremony, including a representative from the American Embassy.

Before reuniting with their families, the children underwent a comprehensive rehabilitation program with support from health professionals, social workers, psychologists and educators in both the private and public sectors. They also had access to psychosocial counseling designed specifically to enable them to heal from the trauma of their ordeal.

At the beginning of their rehabilitation, the children received medical evaluations and were treated for several diseases including all kinds of sores in their mouths and on their bodies, bilharzias, malaria, anemia, and various skin diseases among others. Two of the children who had severe physical disabilities resulting from their trafficking experience were referred for further assessment at the general hospitals. One of these children suffers from a severe eye injury, while the other struggles with a badly injured spine. The first boy is undergoing treatment under the care of an eye specialist, while the second will have to have a complicated surgery in order to correct his spine.

We are currently soliciting financial support from individuals to help finance his surgery.

All 36 children rescued this year have been placed in schools in the 22 respective communities they come from. All of the children are happy to be able to go to school. One boy, Kojo Tawiah, is especially thrilled about this as he says he has always dreamt of the opportunity to study.

Currently, all 30 parents/guardians of the 36 rescued children are being assessed by social workers in order to enable IOM to support them with Micro-credit assistance.
Attachments:

• All the children singing at the reunification ceremony
• A mother reuniting with her four rescued children at the ceremon
• Kojo Tawiah looking happy to be in school

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