The Pilot Program is Underway in Tamale!

We’re excited to share that our pilot human trafficking education program is officially underway in Tamale, Ghana! Over the past week, we’ve been delivering Module 1 in Ghana Education Service Junior Schools, introducing students to children’s rights and human trafficking awareness.

Engaging Students in Critical Conversations

Our sessions have been led by our dedicated Program Manager, Mariama Adam, alongside our fantastic co-facilitator Shaban (aka “Banku Shaban”). Their energy and enthusiasm—combined with plenty of interactive discussions and fun energizers—have made these sessions highly engaging for the students.

To ensure we measure impact effectively, we’ve been conducting pre- and post-session surveys with students. This data will later be analyzed by our research partners to refine the program and contribute to a white paper assessing the effectiveness of our intervention.

Understanding the Challenges

Many of the 11-16-year-old students we’re working with face multiple risk factors for trafficking, including:
🔹 Poverty & barriers to education (lack of uniforms, books, food)
🔹 Early pregnancy & transactional sexual exploitation
🔹 Living with extended families & working as house helps

Hearing firsthand from students and educators about these challenges has reinforced just how vital this work is. One school headmaster shared that as many as 75% of his students live with grandparents, often due to economic hardship, family migration or traditional practices. Without stable support, many of these children are at risk of exploitation, child labour, or trafficking.

Expanding Our Reach

This week, we’re moving on to Module 2, where we’ll explore risk factors and recruitment techniques used by traffickers. In addition to working in schools, we’re also launching our first out-of-school girls and community group programs. These sessions are critical in reaching the most vulnerable girls in Tamale, many of whom are at high risk of trafficking and exploitation.

Life in Community

Beyond the classroom, living in the community has been an eye-opening and incredible experience. This week, I had the unique opportunity to attend the local Chief’s funeral celebrations – an event filled with drumming, dancing, and even flintlock musket gunfire! The highlight? Being invited to dance with the drummers in front of local dignitaries – an unforgettable moment (for me, and likely for the audience too!).

Life in the compound has also been an adventure. Water shortages, frequent power cuts, and the daily search for an internet connection have been challenges, but the warmth and kindness of the community far outweigh them. My neighbors have been incredibly welcoming, and the local children have been amazing—eager to show me around and make me feel at home.

One of the funniest moments this week? Flying the drone for the first time – only for one of the kids to try and catch it in his cup! Moments like these remind me why I love being here.

How You Can Help

As we expand our reach, we need your support to continue delivering these vital sessions. Just £50 provides seven out-of-school girls with essential education on:
✔️ Their rights
✔️ Recruitment tactics used by traffickers
✔️ How to stay safe
✔️ The “Three Trusted Adults” principle

💡 If you’d like to support our work, please consider making a donation: Donate Here

📲 Follow our journey on TikTok: @hopeeducationproject

Thank you for being part of this journey with us! Together, we can help protect and empower vulnerable children and young women in Tamale.