Kpando: The General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) of TUC-Ghana has organized inter-schools game competitions in the Kpando Municipality of the Volta Region as part of activities to mark the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour. Students participated in various games such as football, skipping ropes, scrabbles, and dartboard, winning medals, trophies, and educational materials like exercise books, school bags, and mathematical sets.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event was held in collaboration with the Danish Trade Development Agency (DTDA). Kpando Togorme M/A Primary School secured the first position, followed by Kpando Dzigbe R.C Primary School and Kpando Avetikope M/A Primary School. Mr. Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, General Secretary of GAWU, emphasized that the games are part of GAWU’s efforts to reduce child labour and make school an appealing place for children, working closely with teachers and students.
Mr. Tagoe noted that GAWU supports schools in areas like Kpando Dzigbe, Torkor, Abotoase, and Aveme, promoting child labour-free zones. The Union has identified over 2,000 children previously engaged in child labour, many of whom have been supported to continue their education, including attending universities. For older children rescued from child labour, GAWU has established bridge schools with extra classes to help them integrate into the appropriate educational levels.
GAWU is also setting up a TVET Centre in Abotoase, with the support of traditional authorities, to provide training in skills such as phone repairs, tailoring, dressmaking, hairdressing, and barbering. This initiative aims to equip children who are beyond school-going age with vocational skills.
Mr. Tagoe stated that the Union’s work addresses root causes of child labour, including promoting child labour-free zones and ensuring rescued children receive counselling and guidance on the importance of education. GAWU assesses the needs of children to identify barriers to school attendance, such as lack of uniforms, and makes provisions to support their education.
To ensure parents have sufficient income to support their children, GAWU has established four aquaculture centres to assist beneficiaries in fish production. The Union is also working to improve working conditions for tilapia or Lake Volta fishermen, organizing them into groups to access developmental projects and advocate for themselves.
The national theme for the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour celebration is ‘Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: Let’s speed up efforts’.