COCOBOD educates farmers on child labour

Ghana Cocoa Board has held a durbar for cocoa farmers in Dormaa area as part of efforts to stamp out child labour in cocoa growing areas of the country.

The durbar was aimed at disseminating to the farmers the findings of a research conducted by the board on the impact of phase one of a radio programme on child labour that was jointly organized by the COCOBOD and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) on 13 FM radio stations.

The survey targeted the programme's impact on listeners in terms of their understanding of basic concepts such as “child labour”, “child work”, “child development” and “worst forms of child labour”.

Presenting the findings Mr. Paul Ntim, child labour desk officer of COCOBOD, said the durbar was necessary to collate more views from cocoa farmers towards a smooth take-off of the radio programme's second phase that would involve 18 FM stations.

He said with about 96 percent of the survey's respondents knowing and understanding the basic concepts, the next phase of the programme would be geared towards persuading the farmers to see the need to accept changes to allow such labouring children to develop well.

“One recommendation that ran across the entire survey was the call on key stakeholders to implement child-related laws and conventions without fear or favour”, Mr. Ntim added. The Brong-Ahafo Regional Quality Control Officer, Mr. P.K. Sekyim, reminded cocoa farmers of dangers that the use of minors on cocoa farms could pose to the nation and urged them to cooperate and withdraw them immediately.