The month of July 2011, marked the training of Community Data Collectors (CDC) and District Focal Persons (DFP) to commence the Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS) pilot programme. The programme was roll out in four (4) batches in Kumasi.
The purpose of the training workshop is to enhance the capacity of the trainees to collect data on all households and also identify all children who either might be found in child labour, in the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) or at risk of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) through data analysis.
To this end, about 500 CDCs and DFPs from the Asante Akyem North District, Dormaa West District, Assin North District, Bia District, Aowin Suaman District, Sefwi Wiawso District, Juaboso District, Hohoe Municipal, Suhum Kraboa Coaltar and the Kwaebibrem District from 6 cocoa producing regions in Ghana, are to be trained on the Concept of Child Labour (the Ghanaian perspective), Interview Techniques, Data Capturing Software, administering of the GCLMS Tools, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting.
It is worthy to note that the Minister of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW), Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah who is also the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, and his Deputy Hon. Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere officially opened the commencement of the GCLMS training programme, depicting the tremendous commitment of the leadership of the entire ministry. In their speeches, they welcomed all participants to the workshop and charged them to show resilience and commitment to combating the Child labour menace. They advised all stakeholders in the fight against the menace of Child Labour not to renege on their responsibilities by misappropriating and misapplying funds, logistics and other resources intended for fighting against the canker in their respective Districts and Communities.
Mr. Sampee Yalley, the Coordinator of Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Ministry of Employment & Social Welfare (MESW) was highly impressed by the attendance and the elated enthusiasm exhibited by the participants. He implored them to take the training workshop seriously and reminded them that their role in the implementation of the GCLMS is very vital and sacrosanct.
The National Programme Manager of NPECLC, Prof. Richard Bani, also added his voice to earlier speakers and challenged participants to live up to their expectation. He also emphasised that hardworking persons will be motivated and rewarded accordingly. He further reminded participants that they were recruited based on their own merits. As a result, he has enormous confidence in them and by extension, the success of the programme.
The GCLMS would be piloted in the six (6) cocoa producing Districts from which Data Collectors and Focal Persons have been trained. It is the collective view of all stakeholders that the GCLMS is the way forward in fighting child labour since the System would identify and refer distressed and vulnerable children for appropriate remediation action. Thus, NPECLC and Ghana as a whole would be able to realise its goal of reducing the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) by 70% by 2020.