Report on Lifeline Program

Projectupdate van 1 maart 2015

Date: March 2015
From: Derrick Ameghasie

2014 Girls
Breakdown of girls and the skill acquired are as follows;
Bead craft    - 2
Beauty care    - 8
Dressmaking    -10
All 20 girls were reintegrated with their families in December 2014. The 2 girls who acquired skills in beads craft have already started working while some of the beauty care and dressmaking trained girls still have to start their attachment with others.
The social life and security of the girls integrated is considered improved because, they return to their communities not the same as when they left them. For example, these girls return as people in society who have skills that they can best put to use and to generate income.  The chances for them returning to the cities for non-existing jobs is reduced.
The program since its inception has trained over thousand girls and has become a center of learning for policy makers and likeminded organizations. 

Lifeline Progress Report
The Lifeline Anti-Worst Forms of Child Labor project established and implemented by the Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services (AGREDS) has been designed to empower exploited and vulnerable girls through its strategy of rescuing, rehabilitation and reintegration of girls between the ages of 13 and 20 years.
The Lifeline Programme employs a dual approach in helping to reducing the menace of Worst Forms of Child Labor in the country by a curative and preventive approach. The curative aspect rescues the targeted girls who migrate to Accra in the hope of finding solutions to their woes, but due to the difficult conditions surrounding their survival in the capital city, end up living in the streets.

The preventive measures involve sensitization meetings / drives in the communities on the dangers the children are exposed to. In addition, the communities are educated on the legal implications of Worst Forms of Child labor.

The project uses the 3R (Rescuing, Rehabilitation and Reintegration) model; Rescuing is undertaken through community outreach programs, exploited and vulnerable girls are identified and some referred by stakeholder to the project; such as the Ghana Police Service Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Department of Social Welfare and other agencies.

The girls are screened and enrolled into the program using the project protocols. Rehabilitation covers the acquisition of skills (Dressmaking, Beads craft, Beauty care, Catering), life skills training and provision of start-up inputs. Whiles Reintegration covers transporting and reuniting girls with families in various communities of their choice. All trained and reintegrated girls are monitored for at least 2 years.

2015 program
Intake has started and 23 girls are enrolled. It is expected that this number might grow till 30 or even more depending on the available resources.
The project plans to engage someone to teach catering in this new session (2015). Contracted catering instructor will be required to work for 10 months. Some of the girls (2015) who are currently being screened choosing to sign on for catering. Training can start when getting at least 5 girls willing to learn this skill.