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Child Labor

Child Labor in Lake Volta (2017)

A child labor case from 2017 in Lake Volta, Ghana. 1 source on file.

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What happened

IJM Ghana and Ghanaian police rescued 24 boys, the youngest seven, who had been forced to work in the fishing industry on Lake Volta, after months of joint work to identify suspected traffickers on the lake.

Response and intervention

Perpetrators: The boys' masters on the fishing boats. Investigation: IJM Ghana with Ghanaian police, social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and EMT professionals. Outcome: Suspects were arrested during the rescue on January 24, 2017. Survivor support: The boys were treated, three for malaria and one for a severely broken wrist, and moved to an aftercare shelter.

Sources

Nearby cases

All 37 in Ghana →
Forced Labor2008

Kete Krachi, Ghana, 2008

Ghana GH

No, the country of Ghana is aware of the situation but we don't prosecute the slave master unless they break their social contract with us...which is to purchase no other slave children.

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016
Child Labor2009

Volta Region, Ghana, 2009

Ghana GH

Many of the children were sold or given into slavery as fishers and divers when they were too young to remember, and have done it all their lives, for at least the past 15 years. They were recruited from poor families who felt themselves incapable of providing for their children.

1 sourceArchive 2008–2016
Child Labor2009

Central Region, Ghana, 2009

Ghana GH

A man told the victim's parents he would be involved in his successful sales business. He sold the victim to fishers on Lake Volta, who enslaved him for 8 years From 4 to 8 a.m., he pulled the nets into the boat and unloaded the fish to the riverside. Then spent the day mending nets to prepare for more fishing in the afternoon. First meal of the day was eaten in the afternoon, and the second and last one just before bed. He was frequently beaten, other times he was punished by having the fishermen steer the boat away, forcing him to swim a long distance to catch up with them. Web address(es) of reports www.freetheslaves.net/NETCOMMUNITY .SSLpage.aspx?pid=378&srcid=248

Needs a sourceArchive 2008–2016