Safe at Home? Narratives of Reintegrated Victims of Child Trafficking from Lake Volta, Ghana

Abstract

Trafficking in persons; especially children, have been a major concern in the fields of medicine, early childhood development, and social welfare among others. The impact of trafficking on victims of all ages is devastating. However, after their rescue, intervention processes have been rehabilitation and reintegration into societies of origin in most instances. The current study investigated the experiences of child victims rescued from fishing on Lake Volta, Ghana and reunited with their families in communities from where they were once trafficked. The study explored (a) whether or not reintegrated trafficked victims of school going age were placed in school; (b) whether or not reintegration connotes the absence of exploitative work and (c) if reintegrated children are free from other abuses aside exploitative work. Taking a qualitative approach of enquiry, the study purposively selected 24 participants with whom data was generated through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. It was found that how each participant experienced the core themes – education, exploitative work and other abuses - was dependent on the condition of the home the child was returned to. While some homes supported participants to escape work and abuse, others could not do so given the poor prevailing conditions in some instances. The study therefore recommends a holistic intervention package to make for a safe haven.