We listen to voices unheard and we give #hope to the hopeless. We believe that all #children have the right to life, health, freedom and education and therefore the need to put an end to trafficking, violence and other forms of mistreatment and discrimination against them.
Here is a true and a touching #story everyone must read.
Kojo
Kojo, a 10 year orphan boy and a victim of hazardous child labor until Nneka Youth Foundation came to his rescue. He said, “A man came, took myself and my brother away to a Master so that we could work for him on his “Ganja” (marijuana) farm in one of the villages along the Volta River. We worked every day except Tuesdays on the farm and our duties included preparation of the land, nursing, planting, watering, removing weeds, harvesting, drying and bagging “Ganja” (marijuana). We wake up as early as 5am and cross the river by boat to get to the farm. We are made to work until 2pm and cross the river back home to eat and rest. Our day does end there; we leave the house again at 6pm and cross the river back to #work on the farm till late at night about 10pm before we come back home to sleep.”
This obviously meant they were not enrolled in #school. Most of these children are full of so much potential that needs to be channeled into something beneficial to become useful citizens.
When asked whether he ever tried smoking, he answered, “No, we were warned never to taste it because were too young and it could affect our #health. But every time we were drying and bagging the “Ganja”, the smell was too strong that our head ached, we got dizzy and boozed such that we walked staggering.’’ He also said that on several occasions he felt like running away because he wanted to go back to school and was also scared of being arrested by the police. However, the only thing that kept him was his wages which he was promised when harvested products were sold.
Nneka Youth Foundation found out about Kojo and his brother, followed up and succeeded in taking them away from such unhealthy work. Kojo is now our responsibility. In January 2018, we provided Kojo with his school needs and reintegrated him into one of the best private schools in #Accra. He is in class 2, the stage he left off. We got his brother a guardian and he is doing well too.
In #Ghana, there are thousands of child workers like Kojo and his brother who work under hazardous conditions on #marijuana farms, working on the river as divers and fishermen, and other occupations. This could have lasting consequences on their health and development. How many of such children go unnoticed? Where lies their #future? Where are we, to #advocate for them who have no voices? Are we doing enough?