More than 40 survivors of human trafficking will soon receive education and financial empowerment to aid in their healing process.
As a result, the International Justice Mission (IJM) and United Way, Ghana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to develop powerful, locally based strategies to end human trafficking in the nation.
In addition to providing for the survivors' needs, it also gives them the tools they need to combat the threat.
The one-year project would start from Awutu Senya District of the Central Region, according to a statement co-signed by Madam Anita Budu, Director of IJM, West Africa, and Mr. Felix Kissiedu-Addi, Executive Director, United Way Ghana, and forwarded to the GNA in Cape Coast.
It said that the community-based project, known as "The Anti-Child Trafficking Project," which supported the IJM-led "Ghana Survivors Network (GSN)," would start with an advocacy program to fight child trafficking in underserved communities in Ghana.
About 20 human trafficking survivors will also be empowered and given the tools they need to become leaders who can work with other leaders to protect vulnerable people at the local, regional, and national levels.
The statement added that the goal was to strengthen Ghana's justice system and to find, stop, and prevent child trafficking by energizing cross-sector partnerships and fostering political and public will.
The Global Survivors Network, which GSN is a part of, is an international organization of survivors driving a movement to use their voices to persuade leaders to put an end to and safeguard their communities from all forms of violence.
It acknowledged United Way Ghana's efforts and added that the survivors' lives would be improved by the support.
IJM Ghana, United Way Ghana, the Awutu-Senya District Assembly, and the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) are working together to implement the project.
The Senya Beraku survivors' chapter is the newest of the nation's three survivor groups.
There are currently two chapters: "Hope in Freedom" in Anyamam, Ada West District, and "My Story Counts" in Ehi and Ho, Volta Region.