It Took a Village To Bring
Them Home
From outreach to rescue, every step was
possible because people cared enough to act.
In November 2024, two boys were rescued from forced labour on Ghana’s Lake Volta—and it all began with crucial outreach from survivor leaders.
Years earlier, the boys’ mother had agreed to send her sons away to work for a fisherman, believing that they would be enrolled in school. In return, she received the equivalent of about CAD33.
But when she visited the boys, she was shocked. They hadn’t seen a classroom at all, and they were forced to work overnight, surviving on one meal a day. They looked thin and exhausted.
When she tried to bring them home, the fisherman they were working for refused. She had no way to get them out.
Then one day, during door-to-door outreach by the Ghana Survivor Network—a group of local leaders who are themselves survivors—she shared her story.
They immediately connected her to IJM, who helped her report the case to local police.
After a formal investigation confirmed the abuse, police were ready to intervene. On November 8, 2024, with the help of IJM and Ghana’s Department of Social Welfare, police rescued the boys and arrested two suspects.
Finally safe, the boys are receiving care with support from IJM’s survivor services team. Their healing journey is just beginning, but they’re finally home.
This rescue wasn’t a stroke of luck. It happened because one mother spoke up—and because our supporters made it possible for others to act.
Every child deserves safety, dignity and a future. You can help make that future possible.