A community fish farming project funded by the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC,) has been initiated in Torkor, a suburb of Kpando in the Volta region.
This GAWU imitative is a departure from the normal fish farming, where the rearing is in a dug outpond. This particular type is in a tarpaulin made pond.
GAWU in partnership with its DanishTrades Union Development Agency (DTDA) provided the scoop net, feed and the fingerlings.
The General Secretary of GAWU, Mr Andy Tagoe, who supervised the event to kick start the farming on October 5, 2024, explained that the overall goal of this community fish farming, is to strengthen child labour prevention and support the elimination of child trafficking activities.
It is also expected to be a source of economic livelihood for the community, who are expected to open bank account with the proceeds from the farm.
According to Mr Tagoe, it is expected that the farmers would make about Ghc4000 from the project every three months after selling the catfish and tilapia, leading to an estimated revenue of Ghc12, 000 a year.
Although, the pond is built for the community, Mr Tagoe, stressed that it will be managed by the local union of GAWU in Kpando, Torkor, before it will be replicated in other part of the Kpando municipality.
A Senior Research Scientist with theWater Research Institute of the Council For Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr EtornyoA gbeko, whose outfit tested the water quality and temperature to ascertain if it is habitable for the fishes, noted that the pond can take between 1000 and 2000 fishes .
Aside the pond, GAWU, also presented some items to the Kpando-Torkor cluster of schools to boost the activities to eliminate child labour and keep the withdrawn children in school.
An anti child labour club and a community child protection were inaugurated to consolidate the gains made in the fight against child labour and to make Kpando a child labour free zone.
Some of the items donated by GAWU were soccer kits, playground equipmentand branded Friday tee shirts.
Mr Gilbert Abaka, the Municipal Coordinating Director for Kpando, who received the items, entreated the community to make economic use of the trampoline pond .
He advised the anti -Child Labour club to see their new role as a leadership position which will require them to distinguish themselves.
The Headmaster of the E.P M.A Basic school, Bismark Ahanogbe, who welcomed GAWU delegation promised to take care of the donated equipment and put it to the best of use .
