Saving Children Sold Into Slavery in Ghana

In 2008, Akweley was rescued from Lake Volta where she had spent years as a child victim of trafficking in the fishing industry. As a survivor of trafficking and a beneficiary of IOM’s work, Akweley has thrived in her new life as a secondary student in the Eastern Region where she studies home economics with a passion.

Mawuli, who was rescued months before Akweley from the same harsh conditions on Lake Volta, is also succeeding in school which he attends in the Brong-Ahafo region where he excels in human sciences.

 Close to a decade after being rescued from the Volta region, both students are in their last year of secondary high school and will graduate in June 2018 with a clear path of enrolling in their tertiary levels of education.

Their achievements and IOM’s support led them to recently participate in a Career Guidance and Counselling Workshop organized by the Volta River Authority.

The program provided information on educational opportunities, employment options and the labour market. The students were counselled against the tendency to view some professions in a negative light and also to avoid choosing careers due to familial or peer pressure. The program further aimed at encouraging the participants to start thinking through their aspirations for the future and seek guidance from teachers, mentors and career guidance coordinators at their schools to help them choose the appropriate course for their tertiary education levels. 

Additionally, Akweley and Mawuli received professional help in defining areas they could explore to realise their career aspirations, interests and competencies. Both students have high hopes of entering careers of helping others: Mawuli dreams of becoming a doctor while Akweley aspires to be a dietician. 

Akweley and Mawuli were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the counselling and guidance workshop as it provided direction on how to achieve their dreams. While once facing a future of hardship and untapped potential, the survivors are looking forward to a successful and independent future.

Kojo’s passion is art – which was recognized by the IOM staff who has been following his progress closely for over 6 years. 

Kojo was a victim of trafficking who was rescued by IOM in 2011 at the age of 17, after enduring years of abuse in the form of forced labour at the hands of a fisherman in the Lake Volta region. Since his rescue, IOM united him with his mother and helped him enroll in school. Kojo and his family were supported with food, school fees, stipends, school materials and psychosocial assistance on a regular basis.

Recognizing Kojo’s passion and potential, IOM enrolled him in a vocational training school in Accra to study graphic design upon completion of JHS. Kojo on his part, is greatly enjoying what he’s studying and learning a lot. He has only one exam left to take at the end of this year, and he already has a clear plan for his future. He wants to put his newly acquired skills to work and eventually set up his own graphic design business.

Recently, IOM provide an unsuspecting Kojo with a brand new laptop so he could practise what he was learning at school and to be able to prepare for his final exam.

As he moves onto the next phase of his life, Kojo is very grateful for this unexpected gift made possible because of donors. Kojo’s success will serve as motivation for other survivors of trafficking who are currently receiving support from IOM to harness their potential and envision better futures for themselves.

As for Kojo, he says - I thank you very much. I love IOM.