Action Aid Ghana has supported 20 female household heads with livelihood startups tools worth Gh¢ 112,797 in the Kpandai District as part of efforts to combat modern slavery.
Modern slavery in various forms are depriving many people, especially women and children, of their fundamental rights and freedoms. The International Labour Organisation estimates that almost 50 million people, or one in every 150 worldwide, are in situations of modern slavery.
It is at the back of this statistics that the Program officer, Action Aid Ghana in the Northern Region has implemented the Combatting Modern Slavery project with funding support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation (Norad) to support women in the northern region.
She added that centuries on from the abolition of slavery in major economies worldwide, enforced labour is still a huge problem and to address these human rights abuses, ActionAid Ghana and Ethiopia have been undertaking the project to implement measures to prevent, identify and protect vulnerable groups and victims of modern slavery.
Mrs. Beatrice Biije made the comments while handing over the startup material to 20 project beneficiary in the Kpandai District.
The beneficiaries received various start up kits from various training such as, Soap making, Vegetable farming, Animal Rearing, among others.
She said businesses have also been engaged and trained to implement anti-modern slavery measures to prevent, identify and tackle the use of human trafficking and forced labour, including the worst forms of child labour, in their own operations and supply chains.
Some of the beneficiaries in an interview with Adom News thanked Action Aid Ghana for the kind gesture and also promise to use the items judiciously for intended purpose.
Finally, the District Director of Kpandai District Assembly also in an interview with Adom News acknowledged the partnership of Action Aid Ghana and the District Assembly for the past five years and also assured the Assembly’s full support towards action Aid in the District.
He also seized the opportunity to call on the beneficiaries not to sell the items given to them but rather use them judiciously for their intended purpose.