The SMILE Ghana project seeks to promote sustainable cocoa farm management practices, provision of social protection measures for the vulnerable and marginalised children in the communities. The project is also carrying out a lot of advocacy campaigns, by-laws formulation and promulgation using the National Plan of Action(NPA), Ghana Child Labour Monitoring Systems, National Hazardous child labour Framework, 5 x5 CLFZ manual among others as guiding principles to eliminate Child Labour and in its worst forms and Child Trafficking in Ghana.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1.Promote the rights of children and protect them from all forms of exploitation via improved access to quality education, participation, sensitization campaigns, research and advocacy

2.Build the capacity of local institutions at the community level to improve education and champion their development

3.Increase yield/output of cocoa farmers especially migrants through training in improved and sustainable farming practice.
4.Create opportunities to improve lives and livelihoods via enhanced access to micro-credit and other income-generating activities in agriculture for women, the youth, migrants and vulnerable families.
5. Build partnerships and alliances with relevant partners/stakeholders to enhance the implementation of child protection laws and programmes at the community and district level. 6.Promulgate and implement community byelaws to enhance the sustainability of project outcomes/impacts.
7.Build capacity of project staff to enhance project management and seek funding to ensure continuity of child protection programmes and projects of the organisation SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF COCOCA FARM AND IMPROVED LIFE VIA EDUCATION IN ELIMINATING CHILD LABOUR/ TRAFFICKING IN GHANA.

The primary target group is children between 4-17 years. The project focuses on;
a. out-of-school children(who have not completed compulsory education),
b. orphans and vulnerable children whose guardians /parents cannot afford the cost of education.
c. children engaged in commercial agriculture and cocoa plantation.
d. all children of school-going age.

Another group of primary concern is the parent/guardians and employers of child labourers (who cannot afford the cost of a child's education) whose awareness will be raised concerning the hazards of child labour and educational alternatives that prevent child labour.

The secondary target groups are facilitators of change at the community, district, national and international levels. These include traditional and opinion leaders in the community, District Assembly members and key staff of the District Assemblies, Departments of Education and Social Welfare, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Cocobod, and its relevant institutions, authorities, private companies and corporations, international agencies. Involving them as stakeholders to strengthen human and social resources, will go a long way to increase the community's participation and ownership thereby contributing to equitable and sustainable development.