Child labour trafficking in the Lake Volta fishery of Ghana A case study of Ogetse in the Krachi west district of the Volta region

Abstract

Abstract Child labour trafficking in the Lake Volta fishery of Ghana is one of the prominent issues receiving immense attention from various organizations, NGOs, Civil society within and outside Ghana and the government of Ghana. This is due to the adverse impact on the children’s developments. This thesis sought to find out the major causes of this phenomenon, tasks performed by these victims, the recruitment processes involved in this human trade and the condition under which these children work. It further seeks to investigate the measures and interventions put in place to curb this unabated problem. An exploratory study approach was adopted which led to the selection of Ogetse, one of the receiving communities along the Lake Volta in the Krachi West district of the Volta region. The data was collected using different data collection strategies and was analyzed qualitatively. Various theories of poverty were used in this study to explain the findings. The findings of this study reveal that poverty plays a major role in fuelling this problem however, other complex factors such as cultural norms, migration and institutional failures also contributes enormously to the problem. The children who are mostly boys between the ages of six and seventeen years performed tasks, such as fishing, mending of nets, diving and household chores. These children are made to work under extreme harsh conditions, waking up very early in the mornings at 3am or 4am and going to bed late in the evenings (11pm, 12am) mostly throughout the week without going to school and having little to eat and sometimes being flogged by their masters at the little offence. It also indicates that parents, family members, the fishers and agents are involved in this human trade. In addition the study also revealed that some effort is being made by government, NGOs, Civil Organizations and other institutions to combat this problem.

Abstract Child labour trafficking in the Lake Volta fishery of Ghana is one of the prominent issues receiving immense attention from various organizations, NGOs, Civil society within and outside Ghana and the government of Ghana. This is due to the adverse impact on the children’s developments. This thesis sought to find out the major causes of this phenomenon, tasks performed by these victims, the recruitment processes involved in this human trade and the condition under which these children work. It further seeks to investigate the measures and interventions put in place to curb this unabated problem. An exploratory study approach was adopted which led to the selection of Ogetse, one of the receiving communities along the Lake Volta in the Krachi West district of the Volta region. The data was collected using different data collection strategies and was analyzed qualitatively. Various theories of poverty were used in this study to explain the findings. The findings of this study reveal that poverty plays a major role in fuelling this problem however, other complex factors such as cultural norms, migration and institutional failures also contributes enormously to the problem. The children who are mostly boys between the ages of six and seventeen years performed tasks, such as fishing, mending of nets, diving and household chores. These children are made to work under extreme harsh conditions, waking up very early in the mornings at 3am or 4am and going to bed late in the evenings (11pm, 12am) mostly throughout the week without going to school and having little to eat and sometimes being flogged by their masters at the little offence. It also indicates that parents, family members, the fishers and agents are involved in this human trade. In addition the study also revealed that some effort is being made by government, NGOs, Civil Organizations and other institutions to combat this problem.