Engage Now Africa organizes Community stakeholders forum on modern slavery at Pediatorkorpe

Engage now Africa (ENA) a Non-Governmental Organization which aimed to heal, rescue and uplift brothers and sisters in Africa in collaboration with Freedom now Africa had a community stakeholders engagement with the people of Pediatorkorpe and it's surrounding communities on the Ada Island in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region to address issues pertaining to Modern Slavery and how best they can address them.

The Community Stakeholders' Forum which was under the theme, "Awareness, Action & Impact" was basically focusing attention on Human Trafficking, Child Labor/Child Trafficking which has become the grassroots for abusing the right and freedom of people worldwide.

In an Opening Speech, The Director of End Modern Slavery (EWS) from Engage now Africa (ENA) Afasi Komla said, ENA has been preventing and combating human trafficking and engaged in the fight in ending poverty in Ethiopia, Namibia, Sierra-Leone, Uganda as well as in Ghana.

According to Afasi Komla, "Modern Slavery" is an umbrella term that covers forced labor, forced marriage and human trafficking which is a common trend that a person is being exploited and cannot refuse or leave due to threat, coercion, deception, manipulation and/ or abuse of power. Therefore it is the goals of ENA to educate, create awareness and teach anti-human trafficking actions in vulnerable communities like that of the ones on the Ada Island and also to partner with other agencies to rescue, rehabilitate trafficked victims and prosecute the traffickers, improve a lasting socio-economic impact in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Ghana and again to ensure that every child is safe and not vulnerable to any social vices.

He stressed on some forms of human trafficking in Africa such as Child Trafficking in fishing and illegal mining, Sexual exploitation and prostitution, Child sacrifices, Debt bondage etc and people do all these unacceptable behaviors in Ghana with the aim of poverty, low self-esteem, homeless, ignorance, low risk of arrest and prosecution, political conditions among others.

He also indicated that some of the activities which they undertake to sensitize vulnerable people and communities include; Trafficking Free Road Campaign, Community Stakeholder's Forum, Regional Sensitization Outreach, End Modern Slavery Anti-Slavery Youth Campaign, Law Enforcement Training, Coalition and Rescue Operation and they collaborate with agencies such as; Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU), Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), Assembly Members, Chiefs, Regional and District Police Command, Ghana Immigration Service, Department of Social Welfare and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in other to achieve their target of ending modern slavery in Africa as a whole.

He said there are laws in Ghana to help fight against modern slavery but the implementation is the problem because those living in the urban areas doesn't really know what is going on in the deprived communities so therefore we must come together as one people to find a lasting solution to these challenges.

Portia Heiens, the Acting In-charge of Pediatorkorpe Health Clinic in her statement to the participants, she encouraged parents to take good care of their families so that their children will not be endangered in to child trafficking.

Nene Ofoe Gberbie IV, Head Chief of Pediatorkorpe Island thanked ENA for their continues support to the 7 Island. He urges parents to be watchdogs for their children by protecting them and to ensure that their wards are educated in order for them to become useful citizens in the country.

The participants were taken through some lessons involving who a child is, what is child trafficking/child labor, preventions among other issues regarding modern slavery by Heitey Yankson a Staff from Engage now Africa (ENA)