Kumasi, Sept 19, GNA - 10 communities in the Kumasi Metropolis have been identified as destination points for child trafficking. The Defence for Children International (DCI)-Ghana, a children's rights organization in Kumasi and Social Research Associates (SRA), a research firm in Accra have revealed.

The communities are Sawaba, Bantama Race Course, Adum-Pampaso, Aboabo Number One and Two, Asawasi, Moshie-Zongo, Asafo, Buokrom and Fanti New Town.

Dr George Oppong Ampong, Executive Secretary of the DCI-Ghana, made this known at a meeting with the Committee against Child Trafficking in Kumasi on Tuesday.

He said child trafficking has been a menace for a long time and despite continuous education by many organizations, the problem still existed.

Dr Ampong said it was the responsibility of the Committee to educate people in such communities, to protect children from hazardous labour to enable them to play meaningful roles in development. He announced that the child trafficking project jointly being undertaken by the DCI and the SRA would be inaugurated in Kumasi on October 10 this year, to sensitise the people on the dangers in child trafficking and labour and the need to halt the situation. He appealed to the Committee to evolve effective campaign strategies and tools to help curb the problem. Mr Matthew Dally, National Programme Co-ordinator in-charge of Combating Child Trafficking in West and Central Africa, said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and its development partners including Ghana have been actively engaged in programmes to address the menace.

He assured that the ILO and development partners would help in building the capacities of stakeholders to halt child trafficking. Mr Francis Kwansah, Kumasi Metropolitan Labour Officer and Chairman of the Committee, appealed to the DCI and SRA to equip his outfit to help and guide them in the performance of their duties. 19 Sept. 07