GENERAL NEWS

7 child fishers rescued from Volta lake in 2 hours

In the spate of just two hours, seven child labourers were rescued from their fishing masters on the Krachi West district stretch of the Volta lake in the Oti region.

This was in an operation championed by the Centre for Human Rights, Conflict, and Peace Studies, an advocacy group at the University of Education, Winneba.

During a study tour of the district which has gained a seeming notoriety as a major transit point for child trafficking and child labour, some of the child labourers, aged between 8 and 12 years, were working without supervision whilst others appeared to be severely malnourished.

This prompted the group into actions and with support from PADCODEP, a local non-governmental organisation, they together rescued seven of those children they found on the lake between 7.00am and 9.00am.

But, the rescue operation was not without a struggle. All the children encountered, together with their masters put up fierce resistance, claiming they were in school but could not explain why they were engaged in fishing activities on a Friday morning.

One went on his knees crying and begging the team not to take him out of fishing. The team proceeded to Ogetse, one of the island communities where three of the seven rescued children came from, to a basic school with a considerable number of teachers.

However, it turned out that most parents in the area prioritize fishing over their ward’s education.

Human rights activists say Ghana may not attain most of the Sustainable Development Goals if pragmatic steps are not taken to address the wide spread of child trafficking and child labour.

They explain the exploitation of children, if not checked will make it difficult for the country to attain SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, that seek to ensure no poverty, no hunger, good health, quality education as well as good jobs and economic growth.

The rescued children were taken to The Village of Life, a caregiving home and educational facility for rescued child labourers, to begin a new life journey with 98 other inmates.

 

Source: 3news.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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