Clergyman in Ghana calls for stronger action against child labor and child trafficking
Reverend Samuel Anthony Kofi Dunya, a representative of GlobeServe Ministries International, called for stronger action against child labor, child trafficking, and child slavery in Ghana. As MyJoyOnline reports, he made the appeal at the Southern Justice Conference in the Mepe-North Tongu district.
The event was held under the theme of the role of citizens and the church in a comprehensive response to child labor, child trafficking, and child slavery. Dunya stated that the exploitation of children cannot be considered a private family matter. According to him, citizens must respond when a child is abused, performs dangerous work, or is deprived of education and a safe childhood.
Signs of exploitation
The clergyman emphasized that child labor should not be equated with duties appropriate to a child’s age. It becomes exploitative when it harms a child’s health, safety, education, development, dignity, or deprives them of childhood.
According to him, children who become victims of trafficking for exploitation may be involved in dangerous work and subjected to violence, inadequate care, sexual abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. He urged people to pay attention to children who do not attend school, work in hazardous conditions, move suspiciously between communities, sell goods late into the night, or show signs of fear and violence.
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Appeal to parents and churches
Dunya warned parents and guardians against handing children over to other people solely on the basis of promises of education, vocational training, work, or a better life without properly checking the conditions. He advised them to find out where the child would go, who would be responsible for them, whether they would be able to continue their education, and how regular contact with them would be maintained.
He also called on traditional leaders, social services, schools, medical workers, police, religious figures, civil society organizations, and local authorities to cooperate in identifying vulnerable children and providing them with timely assistance. In Dunya’s view, rescuing children from exploitation must be accompanied by rehabilitation, psychosocial support, education, family support, and long-term follow-up.
He urged churches to establish child protection systems, safe channels for reporting abuse, train religious leaders to identify signs of abuse, and cooperate with the relevant authorities. He also stressed that those responsible for child trafficking and exploitation must be held accountable regardless of their wealth, influence, or religious affiliation.
