Lake Volta in Ghana is home to thousands of child slaves. Children as young as five years old are sold to human traffickers. Fishermen pay a very small amount — equivalent to the cost of a cow — to these traffickers and then force the children into slavery. These children are beaten and abused, often receiving just one meal a day, and working seven days a week for 10-12 hours, starting very early in the morning.
Sometimes, parents who are unable to provide for their children believe they are securing a better future by sending them to live with extended family members or placing them in the care of adults in nearby communities to learn a trade in exchange for a small payment.
Unfortunately, for many children in and around agricultural hubs like Lake Volta, this arrangement leads to exploitation and they become victims of child labor.
