Our History

Challenging Heights was founded by James Kofi Annan in 2005. James was trafficked to Lake Volta when he was 6-years-old and he spent seven years there in modern slavery. He managed to escape, return to his home in Winneba and put himself through school.

While working as a bank manager, James saved up money to start Challenging Heights with the intent to prevent more children from going through what he did and to rescue the children still working on Lake Volta.

Challenging Heights started small, with Child Rights Clubs at schools in 2003. By 2005 he had saved up enough money to legally incorporate Challenging Heights as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and quit his job at the bank.

Over the years, we’ve grown from Child Rights Clubs at schools to conducting a number of rescues each year and rehabilitating children at our recovery centre.