Next month, Eric Peasah of the International Organization for Migration plans to rescue 25 Ghanaian children from human traffickers and deliver them into the arms of their families.

Next week, Adams Middle School student Tyler Page, on behalf of the Kids Helping Kids (KHK) organization, will effectively save the lives of two of those 25 children when he hands over a check to Peasah for $10,000.

“I’m really excited to see him again because he’s family to us now,” said Tyler, 12. “I feel really good about giving him this check because it means even more children taken away from those terrible conditions will get to be back with their families soon.”

Tyler, along with the other kids from the KHK group, will present Peasah with the check on Dec. 19 at the Streets of Brentwood at 5 p.m. The Brentwood-based group started the nonprofit organization in 2007 after Tyler saw Peasah on “Oprah” and was touched by the plight of these children half a world away.

“Seeing the kids with bloated bodies, eating one tiny meal a day and thinking that this is not what a kid’s life is supposed to be, overwhelmed me with shock and sadness.”

Since then the Pages have remained in close contact with Peasah and have made the KHK Project Ghana an ongoing mission, with more than $50,000 in total donations so far.

“They have a real desire (to help) said Peasah. “And when I see these kids wanting to do something about it, it’s quite something. They’re very empathetic.”

In many regions of the world, human trafficking remains big business, and in Ghana, children as young as 4 are sold by naive parents – sometimes for as little as $20 – who believe their children are being offered a chance at a better life.

“These fishermen trick the parents into thinking that they’ll teach them a trade, but of course, that’s not what happens,” said Laura Page, Tyler’s mother and the executive director of KHK. “It is hard to believe, but it does exist.”

So what Peasah and his organization do is track the children and eventually, if possible, negotiate for their release. The process can often take months to complete, and costs somewhere in the range of $4,800 per child. Once released, the children undergo months of rehabilitation and counseling before returning to their parents.

But for approximately $240 U.S dollars per year, endangered children can be provided support from organizations such as IOM on a continuous basis, thus ensuring protection from traffickers.

“This is a difficult job,” said Peasah. “I combat trafficking all over the world – not just Ghana – and unfortunately, it is a full-time job. But groups like Kids Helping Kids make a difference in many ways.”

For more information, call KHK at 925-759-4806 or visit www.kidzhelpingkids.org or the International Organization for Migration Web site at www.iom.int.

KHK is working on another fundraiser this season, also at the Streets of Brentwood. From now until the end of the holiday, Santa’s Winter Forest tree stand (next to the ice rink) will donate a percentage of sales from its trees to KHK.

John Markham, who brings Christmas trees from his family home in Washington each year to Brentwood, said this is the second season he has donated to KHK. “I just think it’s a nice thing to do for the community,” said Markham. “This is a great community and we are happy to do what we can to help, especially at this time of year.”