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Implementing partners of the Yεn Daakye (YDK) Project of the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) have pledged to actively monitor the cocoa spraying exercise which begins in earnest this month to ensure that it is done without child labour this time round. They have also pledged to monitor the activities of children during the cocoa harvest season when it begins from September to ensure that children only perform safe activities in accordance with national standards. The resolutions were adopted after a three-day meeting of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) which are implementing the Yεn Daakye (YDK) Project, a project which contributes to the elimination of worst forms of child labour in Ghana�s cocoa sectors. The NGOs are Community Development Consult (CODESULT) and Global Reform Initiative (GLORI) both working in Wassa Amenfi West Direct, Oasis Foundation working in Assin North District, Support for Community Mobilization Programs (SCMPP) and Help Advance Community Opportunity Goals (HACOG) both working in Mpohor Wassa East District. The rest are Projects Planning and Management (PROMAG) Network working in Sefwi Wiawso and Sefwi Akontombra Districts, Save Life for All Foundation (SLF) working in Adansi South District and Rural Environmental Care Association (RECA) working in the Wassa Amenfi West District. Facilitation at this meeting was led by Participatory Development Associates (PDA), a development consultancy organization. The National Program Coordinator of International Cocoa Initiative, Ms. Patience Dapaah, explained that the Children�s Act of 1998 protects children against exposure to chemicals, including pesticides which are sprayed onto cocoa trees. She further explained that although children generally do not perform the actual spraying, the conventional practice is to make them fetch water at least a day ahead of the spraying exercise for the spraying gangs to use. They thereby avoid exposure to the pesticides while spraying is being done. Monitoring of this activity is therefore important to ensure that children are not called out of class to fetch water if the spraying gangs should run out of water. This would cause the children to miss important lessons and also get exposed to pesticides. She said the monitoring exercise to be performed by partners of the Yεn Daakye Project would ensure that the Hazardous Child Labour Activity Framework (HAF) which was developed in 2008 by then Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment (now Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare) is being applied in the cocoa-growing communities. She was confident that with the extensive education performed on the HAF, there would be very few, if any, cases of children performing hazardous activities. �If any such cases are identified, we would sensitize the entire community and support them to eliminate the practice�, Ms. Dapaah said. Mr. Charles Okoampoh, Yεn Daakye Project Coordinator of HACOG, added that cocoa farmers need to dispose of pesticide containers safely in accordance with the prescribed means of exposure inscribed on the containers. He said some people use the empty pesticide containers to store salt, palm oil and other items, which is very unsafe. He requested the spraying gangs to take charge of safe disposal of pesticide containers.