Emmanuella Boakye

Emmanuella Boakye Yiadom is a 22-year-old former child labourer from Ghana. As the daughter of a single mother struggling to afford their basic needs, at age 6 Emmanuella began working by selling water on the street and in local markets. Forced to work long hours and at constant risk of exploitation and abuse, she was forced to drop out of school until the age of 16. Emmanuella was able to return to her education and is now studying at the University of Ghana, yet says she “nearly had her dreams shattered’ and now campaigns to ensure other children have access to education and are not forced into child labour.