The Growing Up Free (GUF) Project was a 6^½ year intervention undertaken under the Ghana and USA Government Child Protection Compact, to strengthen national efforts in addressing child trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery. INGH collaborated with Free the Slaves to implement the project in 44 communities across  5 regions of Ghana namely Volta, Central, Greater Accra, Eastern and Oti from October 2015- March 2022.

The Growing Up Free project focused on children enslaved in the fishing industry. The intervention embarked on the formation and implementation of a comprehensive, integrated plan for prevention, rescue, prosecution, rehabilitation, reintegration, education, wrap-around social services and the provision of livelihood support for vulnerable families.

INGH collaborated with the Human Trafficking Secretariat, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSW&CD), Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service to successfully execute the project.

Highlights

• 397 children freed from trafficking and provided with gender sensitive trauma informed care. The children were re-integrated with their families and placed in either schools or vocational training centres.
• Over 200 children were prevented from being trafficked. 22 slave holders were arrested with 5 being prosecuted and 2 convicted.
• Over 50 community savings and loans association were formed to support community members especially families of the survivors of trafficking.
• Over 200 families of survivors of trafficking and those at risk to being trafficking were provided with livelihood support.
• 88 community facilitators were trained to form and facilitate the learning groups in the communities.