Key Objectives
This project enables an individual or group
of individuals to support a trafficked child
in Ghana, one of 587 children rescued by
IOM from fishing villages of Yeji where
they were forced to work under hazardous
conditions.
For a minimum of USD 20 per month for
at least one year, a sponsor could support
a specific child based on his or her profile.
Such sponsorship would enable IOM and
its governmental and non-governmental
partners to provide assistance to each
selected child on a continuous basis,
which would protect the child from being
re-trafficked.
The key objectives of the Support
Trafficked Children in Ghana Project are:
n To provide long-term support to
trafficked children in their communities
of origin
n To provide continuous rehabilitation
and reintegration assistance to the
children
n To provide follow-up assistance based
on each sponsored child’s individual
needs
n To ensure that the results and
achievements obtained through the
Yeji Trafficked Children Project are made
sustainable
n To reduce the children’s vulnerability to
being re-trafficked following the period
of IOM sponsorship.
Trafficked children reintegrated into schools. Photo: © IOM 2004
Support Trafficked Children
in Ghana
Trafficked children fishing on Volta Lake. Photo: © IOM 2003
Beneficiaries
n Trafficked children in Ghana
Concrete Benefits
n The health of each sponsored child n The child cannot be re-trafficked
improves from extra medical assistance during the period of sponsorship due
n Each child performs better in school by to extensive monitoring missions and
working closely with his or her tutor inclusion of the child into a mentoring
n Each child makes a smoother transition and tutoring programme.
into his or her community through
participation in more activities with Partners
peers n Friends for Human Development
n The specific individual needs of each n Pro-Link
n Fact for the Youth in the Southern Sector
sponsored child are assessed and met
Organization
through targeted assistance n Ghana’s Department of Social Welfare
n Ghana’s Ministry of Women and Children’s
Affairs
n Ghana Education Service
n Ghana Health Service
n Ghana Police Service
n District Assemblies
Project Details
Start date
n 1 January 2007
End date
n 31 December 2009
Project countries
n Ghana
Donors
n Private Donations
Funding Required
n USD 422,640
(USD 240 per child per year x 587 children =
USD 140,880 x 3 years = USD 422,640)
Project Description
This project complements the Yeji
Trafficked Children Project, which aims
to meet the needs of trafficked children
and their parents in Ghana. For the past
three years, the project has rescued,
rehabilitated, returned, and reintegrated
587 children.

These children were engaged in fishing

under hazardous conditions along Lake
Volta at Yeji in the Brong Ahafo and
Northern Regions of Ghana. They were
brought back to their families and enrolled
in schools or apprenticeships in their
communities of origin in the Central
and Volta Regions, and are currently in
the process of receiving comprehensive
rehabilitation, reintegration, and follow-up
assistance.
Recreational activities form part of the rehabilitation of trafficked children. Photo: © IOM 2005

The Support Trafficked Children in Ghana

Project seeks to protect these children
from being trafficked again. It will provide
continuous support to rehabilitate,
reintegrate, and monitor them for at least
one year following their rescue and return
to their communities of origin from the
fishing communities in Ghana.
Principal Activities
n Provide continuous medical assistance and psycho-social counselling to each
sponsored child
n Establish and expand extracurricular activities designed to further each child’s
education and further reintegrate the child into the community
n Assign a local mentor/tutor to each child to provide encouragement and support.
n Engage children in recreational activities
n Involve children in sports and cultural events in their respective communities
n Monitor and evaluate the progress made by the children in order to provide targeted
follow-up assistance

“In order to provide more sustainable assistance

To learn more about this project
and long-term support to the 587 trafficked and other IOM activities, please visit
children whom we’ve rescued, rehabilitated, and www.iom.int/activities.

reintegrated over the last three years, there is the

need for caring individuals to ’adopt’ them from
afar. This will bring hope for a promising future to IOM is committed to the
these children and prevent them from being re- principle that humane and
trafficked in the future.” orderly migration benefits
migrants and society. As
- Joseph Rispoli, Head, Technical Cooperation, IOM Ghana
an intergovernmental
organization, IOM acts
with its partners in the
international community
to: assist in meeting the
operational challenges
For further information, please contact: of migration; advance
Joseph Rispoli understanding of migration
Head, Technical Cooperation issues; encourage social and
Eric Peasah
Counter-Trafficking Field Manager
economic development
International Organization for Migration through migration; and
1 Tetteh-Fio St., Shiashie, P.O. Box 5222 uphold the human dignity
Accra-North, Ghana
E-mail: IOMAccra_CTU@iom.int • Website: www.iom.int
and well-being of migrants.