IOM #GhanaChildRescue: Info-sheet

THE PROBLEM Lake Volta in is an enormous man-made lake in Ghana which sustains a large fishing industry. Due to extreme poverty and a lack of information, some parents and caretakers give their children out to fishermen, who give false promises of a better future. Many parents are not aware of the harsh living and working conditions awaiting their children.

Trafficked children, some as young as 4 years old, are forced to work under very hazardous conditions – paddling boats, scooping water out of canoes, unscaling fish, disentangling nets or working as domestic helpers.

They are also mostly deprived of education and are often malnourished. Some of them are exposed to physical and sexual abuse.

ONE OF OUR RESPONSES: RESCUE THEM! IOM has been working extensively in Ghana to rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate children trafficked to the fishing industry since 2002. So far, 732 children have been rescued, rehabilitated and reintegrated back into their communities of origin. Now, we are appealing for funding to rescue 20 more children in early 2015!

HERE’S HOW WE CREATE A PATH TO FREEDOM: HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION The IOM counter-trafficking (CT) team begins the process to rescue children in the fishing communities by holding specifically designed community awareness sessions. The intention is to create a better understanding of what human trafficking is, its far reaching and long-lasting impact on innocent children, the existence of a law prohibiting it as a crime and the need to release the trafficked children.

Fishermen often rely on trafficked children because they are usually the cheaper form of labour and have little fingers which are best for detangling nets stuck under water. In order to avoid that they replace rescued children with others, IOM promotes alternative livelihoods options by supporting community projects such as livestock farming and other microbusiness . Once the fishermen are familiarized with the simple and accessible children human rights concepts as well as with the toll forced labor has on the health and psychosocial wellbeing of the child, they often come themselves with the decision to release the children working for them.

REGISTRATION This is the stage where the CT team identifies and screens children present in the fishing communities to identify those who have been trafficked, better understand the composition of the group and asses their specific needs during and after the rescue. Profiles are prepared containing information on the age, sex, region of origin and special needs (medical/psychological) of each child. Registration is important in achieving successful family tracing and preparing to support the child through the rehabilitation phase.

RESCUE Following the identification of trafficked children, the sensitization of fishermen and fishing communities, negotiations are conducted between IOM, community elders and fishermen to secure the release of the identified children. The IOM CT team then sets a date for the rescue. Community leaders, police and IOM are all present to witness the fisherman/fishermen sign a contract officially releasing the child and promising not to engage in trafficking children in the future. The children are then accompanied by IOM staff and the rescue team to the rehabilitation centre.

U.S. individuals/companies can make a tax-deductible donation through USAIM: www.usaim.org #GhanaChildRescue

IOM.INT/GhanaChildRescue

REHABILITATE Most trafficked children are traumatized after their ordeal, having endured physical and mental abuse. Rehabilitation is an important stage that supports children to heal and recover. Once the children have been rescued, they are hosted at a secure and age-appropriate rehabilitation centre where they spend a minimum of three months participating in medical and psychosocial therapy; with fun activities and literacy lessons. Three months is the minimum recovery period a survivor of trafficking needs to stop looking backward to the abuse suffered and to start looking forward to the future.

The centre is a supportive environment where children receive food, basic personal hygiene needs, sleep and caring attention from adults, which they have not received in a long time. They also take part in classes, to empower them with fundamental learning skills. For many children this is their first experience in a classroom setting and is vital to making the transition to school.

During the rehabilitation phase the IOM CT team conducts in-depth interviews and social investigations with every child. Furthermore, a Best Interest Determination ‘BID’ is undertaken, by relevant authorities to determine what constitutes the best suitable and sustainable solution for the rescued child. This also includes a process of family tracing and investigation to assess, amongst others, the current situation of the parent or guardian of the child and their capacity to care for the child. Each rehabilitation programme is tailored specifically to the needs of the child and parent/guardian. At this time preparations are also undertaken to prepare the child for enrolment in school or an apprenticeship and reunification with parents/guardians.

REINTEGRATE After undergoing rehabilitation, children are reunited with their families where appropriate. The main goal of returning the children back to their parents/guardians is to fulfill the fundamental right of a child to grow up in a family environment. Before reuniting the children with their caretakers the team traces their parents and develops case files of the general environment over a few months to ensure suitability. Children are then reunited with parents/guardians who have been deemed capable of looking after them in a responsible manner. In coordination with social welfare officers, alternative guardians are sought when suitable parents are not located for the children. Parents are counseled about the issue of trafficking and the needs of the child and they sign a social contract. This enjoins them to accept absolute responsibility and care of the child, including a commitment not to engage in re-trafficking the child.

EMPOWER CHILDREN TO AIM HIGHER The primary purpose of reintegration is to nurture and support the rescued child's development. Our intention is to motivate the child to flourish as a student or apprentice and foster the child's growth into adulthood. Upon their return, children are placed in school or an apprenticeship and provided with the required tools and materials. They are also supported with basic food items. Their progress in the family environment, school and apprenticeship is monitored regularly over a period of 2.5 years. Parents of returned children are also given livelihood assistance and training to better support the child's needs.

U.S. individuals/companies can make a tax-deductible donation through USAIM: www.usaim.org #GhanaChildRescue

IOM.INT/GhanaChildRescue