By: Dennis Narterh Adzigodi, Ada.
The rate of child labour is on increase in the Dangme East District and if proper measures are not put in place curb this practice the district will see its future leaders “die before dishonour”.
This revelation came to light when this reporter embarked on research to ascertain the rate of child labour and abuse in the district. It is very disgusting to note at these modern age parents still engaged their children in jobs for money rather than sending them to school.
These children were engaged in jobs such as fishing, farming, and sending cows out to feed. At Tetsonya a town close to Big Ada about four old year boy was spotted taking care of over thirty cows. According to the little boy who gave his name as Addo Amos said he has been taking care of about thirty heads of cows in Ada Luta in Ada in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The boy who has not even taken any food since he left the house as early as 6:00 am to send the cows to feed has no option than to bring the cows closer to the place where an engagement was taken place to beg for some food where I spotted him for the interview as at about 10:00 am. Touched by the plight of this innocent boy whose parents have denied Basic Education in exchange of one cattle after every three years, I quickly bought some food and drink for him because he looks so hungry. Narrating his ordeal to me, the little Addo who is eager to go to school said he always sends these cows to feed several kilometers from his village Ada Luta and returns home late in the evening before he is given some food to eat. He mentioned his mother as one Kwekour at Ada Luta with him and Father Awetse Kwesi who is currently at Akosombo. He said he is currently taking care of the cows belonging to one Bro. Kwesi at Ada Luta whose children are all at school.
According to him he is denied proper nutritional diet and clothing which is very evident in his appearance. I was touched and amazed if at this modern age child labour and abuse still persist in the Dangme East District. I have therefore decided to use my medium and other resources to help fight child labour in Ada and its environs.
This practice according to sources and my investigations is very rampant in the district especially in those cattle rearing communities in the districts where children of school going ages are made to take care of cows where they are given one cow at the end of every three years. This means even if a child will be sent to school at all, three of his fruitful years will be gone into taking care cows in the bush. Even those cows which serve as reward for these poor boys are always said to have died by some of these wicked cattle owners after they have finished with their three years of taking care of these cows.
Close observations and research has also revealed that those children that have been engaged in this type of acts after time behaves abnormally especially the cow boys and those who were send to work at Akosombo, Yeji and other fishing communities outside the district. They also find it very difficult to pick up with education and learning in class due to malnutrition they have suffered from and excessive and abnormal jobs they were made to do.
Although it is a normal practice in the District as claimed by MP for Ada Sege Constituency Honourable Walas Gborjor Abayateye sometime ago after a bus full loaded of children on their way to Yeji was intercepted by the police that those children are going on vacation to help their parents. It is prudent to engaged children of school going ages to minor jobs that will not affect their educational careers and that will not have any psychological effects and damages to their body and general well being.

But I think for the case of two year old poor Addo Amos the security officers and the District authorities in Ada must arrest these three culprits and prosecute them to serve as deterrent to others who are still engaging children in these barbaric acts.
The fight against child slavery and abuse must be embraced by all and not left for government and other agencies alone because these perpetrators leave with us in all our communities so as to eliminate these barbaric acts in out districts, communities and country as a whole. Tougher punishment must also be imposed on these offenders to serve as deterrent to others.