The U.S. and Ghana governments have signed a historic compact to accelerate the fight against child slavery in Africa. Free the Slaves has been chosen as one of the key organizations to lead the way.
The four-year project will not only free more than 400 children in hot spots among Lake Volta’s fishing communities and the surrounding region, it will also train more than 2,000 community members, traditional authorities and government officials in ways to sustainably combat child slavery for many years to come.
The program is part of a new initiative called the Child Protection Compact Partnership (CPC), the first-ever arrangement between the U.S. and a foreign government under new funding approved by Congress.
Our initiative is called “Growing up Free.” Our team in Accra briefed the CPC leaders last month.
Working in partnership with International Needs Ghana, we will train community leaders to recognize child trafficking and take action to reintegrate rescued children into communities, raise public awareness, support livelihood alternatives for families of reintegrated children, and provide staff training and grants to NGOs who provide aftercare services for child trafficking victims. Working in partnership with Right to Be Free, we will convene two national symposia on child slavery.
This partnership marks a major milestone for Free the Slaves. Child slavery is widespread in Ghana. It requires a concerted effort to eradicate.
Present at the launch meeting were all the CPC partners, which included representatives from the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Office, Ghana government, Free the Slaves and the International Organization for Migration. The Ghanaian ministries attending included Employment and Labor Relations; Justice; Interior; and Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Learn more about our work in Ghana on our Ghana webpage.
