Red Card to Child Labour in the Ghanaian Cocoa Sector

The event was organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - Sustainable Cocoa Programme (SCP) in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). Held under the theme "Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults," the programme highlighted the importance of collective action to ensure that children in cocoa-growing communities enjoy their right to education, protection, and healthy development. 

Representatives from the Ghana Education Service, the Department of Social Welfare, the District Assembly, farmer cooperatives and unions, Licensed Buying Companies, and traditional authorities reiterated their commitment to strengthening child protection systems and promoting responsible practices within cocoa-growing communities. 

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Executive Director of COCOBOD's Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), Dr. Margaret Ayerakwa-Frimpong, reaffirmed COCOBOD's commitment to eliminating child labour in cocoa-growing communities. She noted that child labour awareness, prevention, and sensitization have been fully mainstreamed into COCOBOD's extension service delivery, ensuring that cocoa farmers receive continuous education on child protection as part of routine extension activities. She further urged Community Extension Agents (CEAs) to promptly report suspected child labour cases to the Department of Social Welfare to facilitate timely intervention, remediation, and the protection of vulnerable children. 

The event also served as a platform to increase awareness of the Cocoa Sector Child Labour Monitoring Systems (CS-CLMS), which support the identification, prevention, and remediation of child labour cases while encouraging school enrolment and regular attendance. 

The Circuit Supervisor of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Assin North District, Mr. Abraham Donkor, expressed concern over the increasing rate of pupil absenteeism during the peak cocoa production season. He observed that many school children are absent from class during this period, underscoring the need for sustained community efforts to safeguard children's right to education. Mr. Donkor called for intensified child labour sensitization campaigns and recommended that such awareness programmes be expanded to more schools to educate pupils on their rights, responsibilities, and the importance of remaining in school. 

A major highlight of the celebration was an interactive quiz competition involving three basic schools within the community. The competition challenged students' knowledge of children’s rights, education, and child labour prevention while promoting learning in an engaging and participatory manner. At the end of the contest, Akonfudi A Primary School emerged as the overall winner, receiving applause from participants for its outstanding performance. To encourage learning and recognise the enthusiasm of all participants, every student received educational materials, including exercise books, mathematical sets, pens, and chocolates. 

Organisers emphasised that protecting children is fundamental to building a sustainable and resilient cocoa sector. They noted that access to quality education and effective child protection systems not only improve the well-being of children but also contribute to the long-term sustainability of cocoa production by strengthening farming households and communities. The event forms part of the ongoing collaboration between GIZ-SCP and COCOBOD to support responsible cocoa production through community sensitisation, capacity building, and the implementation of interventions that promote children's rights and family livelihoods. 

The commemoration concluded with a renewed call for sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, community leaders, farmers, schools, and the private sector to eliminate child labour in cocoa-growing communities. As Ghana continues to advance sustainable cocoa production, stakeholders underscored that investing in children's education and well-being remains one of the most effective ways of securing the future of the country's cocoa industry. 

The Technical Advisor of the GIZ Sustainable Cocoa Programme (SCP), Mr. Richard Biney, reiterated GIZ-SCP's unwavering commitment to supporting COCOBOD and other stakeholders in eliminating child labour across Ghana's cocoa supply chain through collaborative interventions, awareness creation, and community-based child protection initiatives. Addressing the participating pupils, he encouraged them to know and confidently exercise their rights while equally embracing their responsibilities at home, in school, and within their communities, emphasizing that education remains the foundation for a brighter future. 

The message from Assin Akonfudi was clear: every child belongs in school not at work. By working together, stakeholders can create cocoa communities where children are protected, educated, and empowered to achieve their full potential while contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous cocoa sector for generations to come.