BOOTS FOR BOOKS
Catherine (summer intern) helps the children with their reading lessons.
RTBF has an outreach program in five communities in the Ada District of the Greater Accra Region in Ghana, where child trafficking is endemic. This program gives RTBF a means of entry into these villages where we can improve the lives of children while performing anti-child trafficking education with their parents.
The Boots for Books (B4B) program provides reading instruction and soccer training to 75 children (15 children in each community). Since their families cannot afford their education, the B4B program is the only opportunity for them to learn to read.
RTBF first introduced and discussed the community project with the Ada District Assembly. We also met with various stakeholders including the District Chief Executive and the Social Welfare and Community Development Director. The five communities participating in the program are: Dosisy, Futuenya, Puteh, Songutsokpa, and Wasakuse.
After receiving the endorsement from the various stakeholders, RTBF met with the communities' chiefs and village elders to obtain their approval. Everyone was excited about the program and many villagers stepped forward to volunteer, since reading instructors and soccer coaches were needed to implement the program.
The children attend weekly reading classes and they must complete their daily assignments before they are allowed to participate in the soccer training. They are also educated about their rights and self-advocacy to help protect them from traffickers.
Each community has an average of 150 children. With more funding, we can extend the project beyond 15 youths in each village, reaching more unschooled children and eventually expand the project to other vulnerable communities in the Ada District.
RTBF manages the B4B program and trains the volunteers. Over time, they will supervise and train other volunteers as B4B expands, creating a sustainable program. While working in these villages, we will identify children who have been trafficked and plan for their future rescue.
While the B4B program will increase literacy rates, as long as children are not enrolled in school, they are still vulnerable to traffickers. Therefore, RTBF has implemented a micro-grant program to female-headed households to help them build a business to support their families, reducing their risk of trafficking.
These projects work together to protect children while giving their families the opportunity to break free from the depths of poverty.
The Boots for Books (B4B) program provides reading instruction and soccer training to 75 children (15 children in each community). Since their families cannot afford their education, the B4B program is the only opportunity for them to learn to read.
RTBF first introduced and discussed the community project with the Ada District Assembly. We also met with various stakeholders including the District Chief Executive and the Social Welfare and Community Development Director. The five communities participating in the program are: Dosisy, Futuenya, Puteh, Songutsokpa, and Wasakuse.
After receiving the endorsement from the various stakeholders, RTBF met with the communities' chiefs and village elders to obtain their approval. Everyone was excited about the program and many villagers stepped forward to volunteer, since reading instructors and soccer coaches were needed to implement the program.
The children attend weekly reading classes and they must complete their daily assignments before they are allowed to participate in the soccer training. They are also educated about their rights and self-advocacy to help protect them from traffickers.
Each community has an average of 150 children. With more funding, we can extend the project beyond 15 youths in each village, reaching more unschooled children and eventually expand the project to other vulnerable communities in the Ada District.
RTBF manages the B4B program and trains the volunteers. Over time, they will supervise and train other volunteers as B4B expands, creating a sustainable program. While working in these villages, we will identify children who have been trafficked and plan for their future rescue.
While the B4B program will increase literacy rates, as long as children are not enrolled in school, they are still vulnerable to traffickers. Therefore, RTBF has implemented a micro-grant program to female-headed households to help them build a business to support their families, reducing their risk of trafficking.
These projects work together to protect children while giving their families the opportunity to break free from the depths of poverty.