Providing School Supplies to 100 Children in Ghana

My name is Akira Kondo, and I am the Project Manager for the Ghana region at Action Against Child Exploitation (ACE).  Thank you so very much for supporting our efforts to end child exploitation in the world. 

I am extremely happy to announce the completion of the "Smile-Ghana Project" in 8 communities in the Ashanti state in Ghana. The project started in 2009 and was completed at the end of January 2018.

Due to this project, we have directly saved 454 children from child labor, and have additionally helped to educate around 4,000 children from the communities.  We accomplished our goals and have left in place a system wherein sustainable, child labor-free cacao production and educational opportunities are present.  

From February 1st, 2018, we have started new projects in 2 villages in the Brong-Ahafo, Asunafo-South District.

These two villages are located in a different state, but are in close geographic proximity to the 8 villages from our earlier project, and suffer from similar problems of child exploitation and lack of opportunity.

The educational environment is currently very dire in these villages, as about 40% of school-aged children are engaged in child labor, and are unable to go to school. 

Drawing on our experience working in the Ashanti state, we will collaborate with local people in the new communities to help children to go to school, and to open opportunities for adults to earn a decent income, so that these villages can also become ethical cacao-producing regions, completely without child labor.

I am currently in Ghana now and will be visiting the new villages, as well as the 8 communities of the previous project to conduct a "graduation ceremony" in which we will gather officials in the communities to acknowledge and celebrate the elimination child labor there.

Child labor has been ended in eight villages, but in Ghana, the fight is far from over. There are many areas of Ghana where child labor is still the norm, but with the continued support of donors like you, we will surely vanquish this problem and create a world where all people have the opportunity for advancement and freedom from exploitation.

Thank you for your continued support! We will post updates on this project, and all future endeavors.