On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Africa Faith and Justice Network – Ghana (AFJN–Ghana) organized a townhall-style engagement of Sekoti community, near Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, to promote child protection and raise awareness on the impact of child marriage and related abuses. The community meeting was part of a three‑day stakeholders’ engagement organized by AFJN‑Ghana in collaboration with Dominicans for Justice and Peace to promote human dignity, protect children, and end child exploitation in the region.
The AFJN–Ghana delegation began the day with a courtesy visit to the Spiritan Academy, a basic school established by the Spiritan Fathers to offer formal education for children in Sekoti and surrounding communities. The team commended the teachers for their dedication and encouraged them to continue shaping the future of the children of Sekoti and surrounding communities.
Following the school visit, the team met with the chief of Sekoti, his elders, assembly members, opinion leaders, parents, teachers, and students of Sekoti Junior High School in a well-attended session.
Addressing the gathering, Fr. Okure explained the reason for the gathering and emphasized that the primary purpose of the forum was to raise awareness about the implications of child marriage—a persistent challenge in the region and across Ghana. He described child marriage as a harmful practice that deprives girls of their dignity, opportunities, their full development, and freedom. He urged community leaders to intensify efforts to eliminate child marriage, teenage pregnancy, domestic servitude, and human trafficking by enforcing community-level policies that protect children.
Sr. Eucharia Madueke called on parents to uphold the dignity of their children and refrain from practices that expose them to exploitation. She cautioned against sending children to live with relatives or acquaintances in the cities with hopes of better opportunities, noting that many of these children end up overworked and exploited in domestic servitude.
Speaking directly to the students, Sr. Ignatia Sarfowaa Buaben, the national coordinator of AFJN–Ghana, advised them to avoid early sexual activity, drug abuse, and relationships that could destroy their future. She encouraged them to stay focused on their education, believe in their potential, and remain vigilant against negative peer influence, predatory adults, human trafficking, and domestic servitude.
Fr. Okure also educated the students on the dangers associated with being hooked on mobile phones and modern technology. While acknowledging their benefits, he warned that traffickers often use social media to lure victims with fake job offers and scholarships.
In response, the chief of Sekoti expressed profound gratitude to AFJN–Ghana for addressing issues he acknowledged as serious challenges within the community. He pledged to collaborate with chiefs from the eight surrounding communities to establish committees that will raise awareness and help eliminate child marriage and domestic servitude and enact policies to facilitate the process. He encouraged parents to protect their children and assured them of his support in dealing with perpetrators. An assembly member also thanked the team and promised to seek support from the district assembly to strengthen advocacy efforts. He emphasized the damaging impact of child marriage and domestic servitude and urged the community to collaborate in tackling these issues.
