Nkrankwanta: Mr. Emmanuel Owusu Adjei, the Dormaa West District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has issued a warning to cocoa farmers against employing children for exploitative labour on their farms. He emphasized that child labour infringes on the rights and dignity of children, preventing them from accessing quality education and exposing them to harmful work conditions detrimental to their growth and development.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Adjei made these remarks during a forum for cocoa farmers in Nkrankwanta, a town known for its cocoa production in the district. The event was organized by Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), an NGO focused on anti-corruption and media advocacy, as part of its ‘Rights4Cocoa Project,’ funded by Unifor. The project aims to promote human rights and child protection in cocoa-growing communities through advocacy, community engagement, and awareness creation.
Mr. Adjei stated, “The use of children for exploitative work in cocoa farms is not only illegal but morally wrong as well,” underscoring that the economic gains should not come at the expense of children’s futures. He urged families, parents, guardians, and cocoa farmers to collaborate in safeguarding the fundamental rights of children and providing them the opportunity to thrive.
Madam Hairiya Bala, the Project Coordinator of GLOMEF, highlighted that the Rights4Cocoa project focuses on empowering cocoa-growing communities to comprehend and uphold the rights and dignity of children, creating a safer and more equitable environment for them. She mentioned, “Child labour remains a critical issue in Ghana’s cocoa sector, and through this project, we aim to raise awareness, promote behavioural change, and strengthen community-based child protection systems.”
Participants, including traditional leaders, cocoa farmers, women’s groups, and youth, expressed concerns about the prevalence of child labour in their communities. The forum enlightened them, and they pledged to make positive changes in their respective cocoa-growing communities.
As the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, Ghana faces significant challenges related to child labour and human rights concerns in cocoa-growing areas, with minors often engaged in exploitative and hazardous work on farms. Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the CEO of GloMeF, emphasized the foundation’s commitment to addressing this issue and called on stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and cocoa-buying companies, to lend their support.