Kumasi, April 26, GNA- Over 700 children had been identified in ten suburbs of Kumasi as being involved in the worst forms of child labour. Out of the number, 410 have been selected to be given free education or employable skills.

Mr Martin Opoku Sekyere, Senior Labour Officer at the Kumasi Labour Office, revealed this in Kumasi on Friday, during a sensitisation programme organised by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), in conjunction with the Labour Commission, for members of the Anloga Carpenters and Woodworkers Association.

He however noted that, some of the children could not be traced after the decongestion exercise due to the fact that, they were living in kiosks and other slumps when a research was conducted to identify them.

Mr Sekyere said that the education was in line with the joint collaboration between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) in their efforts to fight against the worst forms of child labour. He mentioned the child labour prone areas as Anloga, Asafo, Aboabo Number one and Two, Moshie Zongo, Adum, Suame Kotoko, Race Course, Roman Hill and Dichemso.

The Senior Labour Officer emphasised said parents of the children selected would also be given employable skills by the Centre for Development of People (CEDEP) and the Small Skill Business Services Network (SSBSN).

It's being sponsored by the KMA and ILO, and would equip them with soft loans to enable them to take care of their children. Mr Michael Ampong, Senior Field Officer of the NCCE stressed that the worst forms of child labour deprive children of their education and also affect their health.

He said some of the children were exposed to sophisticated machines and hazardous chemicals at the carpentry shops, which were dangerous to their physical developments.

He also mentioned mining and trokosi as places where children perform tedious jobs, but added that, child work such as doing household chores were allowed since they do not pose any threat to the child's health.

The NCCE Officer said child labour is often caused by misplaced priority, poverty, violence in the home, peer pressure among others, saying, they could lead to death, deformity and increased dependency rate and cautioned all to desist from child labour. He said offenders could be prosecuted if they are reported to the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ) and the Domestic Violence and Victims' Support Unit (DOVVSU).

Torgbuiga Mawufe-Ame Fugah, Chairman of the Anloga Woodworkers Association promised to help eradicate the menace, and appealed to policy makers to initiate policies to favour the micro and small scale industries.