Challenging Heights rescues 11 more children from forced labour

Challenging Heights has, over the weekend, rescued 11 more children from Lake Volta. The children rescued are made up of Nine (9) males, and two (2) females, and are between the ages of eight (8), and sixteen (16). Most of these children have worked as child fishermen for several years without attending school and are subjected to various forms of abuse.

This adds to the over 1,700 boys and girls the organization has rescued from slavery in the fishing communities in Ghana since its establishment in 2003.

Challenging Heights is a local Ghanaian antislavery organization with the long-term goal of safeguarding the rights of children to education, particularly those affected by human trafficking and modern slavery.

The organization, which recently released a comprehensive report on child labor, says it remains resolute in its fight against child labor exploitations, especially in the fishing industry in Ghana. The report, titled “Hidden in Plain Sight: A report on child labor in the fishing industry of Ghana”, concludes that 60% of all children on Lake Volta are child labourers.

Globally it is estimated that there are over 40million human beings caught up in slavery, and the slave traders generate over $50billion annually. In Ghana, the Global Slavery Index put the number of people in slavery at 133,000 (Walk Free Foundation, 2018).

This current rescue contributes to reducing the problem of child labor on Lake Volta.

We would like to thank all our partners, especially the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Navy, for their leadership and support in bringing freedom to these children.

James Kofi Annan

(President)