By Rachel Kakraba
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), has extended its child labour interventions to more districts in the Volta and Oti regions.
This includes Aveme in the North Dayi district of the Volta region and Abotoase in the Biakoye district of the Oti region.
The project will leverage the successes of the Torkor model in the Kpando Torkor municipality to deal with emerging threats of child labour posed to the communities.
In an interview with GBC NEWS in Accra, Deputy General Secretary of GAWU, and also a Child Labour champion, Andrews Tagoe, said the project in Aveme has become necessary as a result of the charcoal and fish industry in the community.
He said expanding such child labour interventions in the community will nib the canker in the bud.
“We are consolidating the gains that we have made in the Torkor model, and we will be at Aveme in the North Dayi district. In the North Dayi district, a new market is emerging, like the Torkor market. There’s charcoal, there’s fish, and whenever there’s development, it comes with its own social consequences. So this time we will not wait for the children to enter into child labour.”
He said the Union is working with the District Assembly and other relevant organisations to make Aveme and the other selected districts Child Labour Free Zones.
“We are forming anti-child labour clubs in the schools. We also went to the district Assembly, and the DCE himself was so excited about how we are going to make Aveme, child labour free zone. From Aveme, we moved to Abotoase, in the Biakoye district in the Oti region to also start working in the community.”
Mr. Tagoe said GAWU, together with the International Labour Organisation, is working in Yeji in the Pru East of the Bono East Region to disrupt the supply chain of child labour.
‘We are also working with the International Labour Organisation, ILO, in the Northern part of the area, in the Yeji part, and the rest to ensure that the supply part of child labour will also be curtailed.”
Adding on, he said GAWU is also promoting a child labour-free zone within marine fishing.