Raphel Ahenu is Founder and CEO of the Global Media Foundation, a human rights and media advocacy organisation based in Ghana. Beyond Trafficking and Slavery caught up with Raphel as part of our feature on child workers in the country to learn more about the children’s context and the impact of NGO interventions on them. His remarks were translated out of Twi and lightly edited for clarity.
The Global Media Foundation uses the power of the media to fight for the rights of disenfranchised Ghanaians, particularly among deprived communities in the Ahafo region. Ahafo is one of the main agricultural areas of Ghana, and we are involved with children and youth working in cocoa and other farming here. There are also small-scale mines, lorry parks, and other jobs that the government doesn’t want children to do anymore. We work with youth in all these communities.
Most of us at the foundation were working children too. I personally acquired my education and training as journalist by working as an agricultural labourer. Working was simply normal when we were young men and women, so the young people now struggling to make it in life through work are very dear to our hearts. Their rights are central to our advocacy and humanitarian activities.
