By Patrick Biddah
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC] has stepped up its collaborative efforts to curb Child labor and forced labour in the country.
In view of this, it has distributed reflective jackets and identity cards to members of the Community Child Protection Committee to intensify the monitoring, education and rescue of children in child labor in the North Dayi district.
The General Secretary of GAWU, Mr Andy Tagoe, who led the donation at Anfoega in the North Dayi District of the Volta region on Thursday, October 3rd , 2024, expressed the need to sustain the efforts at driving children out of the menace of Child Labour .
These efforts, he emphasized has resulted in some children going back to school, following their rescue.
The rescue, according to him has opened the eyes of children to seek opportunities in white collar jobs in future after their education.
For some of the children who fell victim to child labor, Mr Tagoe, revealed that these children needed just a little financial push to be in school and it is for this reason that GAWU and its partnering unions and institutions, such as the cocoa board, Oil Palm producers, as well as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture have been filling that gap.
He expressed his gratitude to the North Dayi District for welcoming GAWU into the district so well that their relationship has grown from strength to strength, making the children become the bigger beneficiaries.
He said the misconceptions of GAWU being noted for industrial action and demonstration is not always the case, but rather a union committed to advancing the course of children and promoting decent work and that of any other related body.
In his remarks before the distribution, the Chief Executive Officer for North Dayi, Edmund Atta Kudjo, commended GAWU for sticking to its objective of eradicating Child Labour in his district for the past two years which has seen significant number of children being rescued.
He further expressed his delight about the fact that GAWU has extended its assistance to all manner of people in the district irrespective of their political party backgrounds .
As part of the donation , there was a training workshop for Journalists on child labor reporting.
It had in attendance members of the Community Child Protection Committee who had first hand information into the workings of Journalists .
The Vice President of the Social Mobilisation Partners Against Child Labour ( SOMOPAC) , Madam Lucy Baagyei- Danso in a presentation, encouraged Journalists to visit communities affected and exposed to child labour in order to gather first hand information.
She further entreated Journalists to be abreast with legislation on child labor which will guide their reports.
For her, collaborations among Journalists, communities , policy makers and law enforcers will continue to help win the fight against child labour.
