Taxis and Tro tros help us “Turn Back Human Trafficking”
After a press conference with Ghana Police which launched the “Turn Back Human Trafficking” campaign, the Challenging Heights Advocacy Team is pounding the pavement, making sure our message is heard by travellers and traffickers.
“I support Ghana to be a child trafficking free country,” is one slogan meant to warn anyone who wants to send children to work on Lake Volta that there will be consequences.
Drivers of taxis and tro tros (public transportation in the form of privately owned passenger vans) in Senya readily accepted the Challenging Heights team plastering brightly coloured stickers on their trunks and side windows.
As he peeled the paper and laid the stickers carefully onto back doors and behind the head rests of tro tro front seats, Challenging Heights Advocacy Manager, David Kofi Awusi, explained to drivers what the stickers are for.
Since Ghana Police committed to vigilance and action in looking for and removing children who are being trafficked into slave labour on Lake Volta, Awusi says it’s now time to make drivers aware of the dangers of child slavery.
Challenging Heights hopes that drivers will be aware that unaccompanied minors on buses and tro tros heading north to Yeji from the Central Region may well be headed to a life trapped in slavery. We want people to understand the dangers and help to stop traffickers in their tracks and hope that the brightly coloured stickers may turn heads and remind people to “turn back” human trafficking.
Mr. Kofi Larbi, chairman for the GPRT (Ghana Private Road and Transport Union) in Senya, allowed Challenging Heights to place stickers on tro tros, bus stops and the main waiting areas for travelers. He’s on board with doing all he can to promote awareness of the reality of child labour.
Two days later, Challenging Heights joined Ghana Police at check points in the Senya area.
Ghana Police pulled vehicles over and asked if the drivers would support the anti-trafficking measure by allowing us to put stickers on their vehicles. Every one of them willingly agreed.
It’s a small step in the fight against human trafficking, but with police commitment and taxi and tro tro driver support, our awareness campaign moves forward.