NGOs rescue children from dangerous fishing activities in Yeji

Challenging Heights and Centre for Rural Enterprise Development, both non-governmental organisations operating in the Effutu Municipality, last year rescued a total of 216 children from engaging in dangerous fishing along the Volta Lake and enrolled them in schools and skills training centres. The children, aged between 6 and 17, were rejoined with their relatives before the NGOs sent them to the training centres and schools, the Effutu Municipal Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Mr Godwill Acquah, told the GNA in an interview. He said the children came from Walababa, Senya Beraku, Akosuah Village, Yepemso and Penkye in the Effutu Municipality Mr Acquah said 141 of the children were sent back to school while 59 enrolled in skill training Centres. Mr Acquah said parents of the children were not able to maintain them resulting in some of them leaving school again, five of the girls have got pregnant and have left the skills training. Mr Acquah appealed to the government to extend the Livelihood Employment against Poverty programme to the municipality as a result of the high poverty rate. He said most of the parents allowed their children to leave school and sent them back to Yeji because of poverty.