Earlier in 2011, we learned
about the scourge of slavery in Ghana, specifically on Lake Volta... children
being sold into slavery and forced to toil endlessly at the hands of their
slave master, often losing hope of ever seeing freedom again.
We also learned that there are
organizations dedicated to not only negotiating the rescues of these children,
but also of providing for the children once they are freed from slavery.
A child can not be rescued without a future being secured for them.
Our goal was to offer
financial support to increase the resources available to rescued children so
that the maximum amount of children can be rescued and given the best
opportunities possible.
When we spoke to PACODEP to
assess what would be the most effective way to realize our goal, we were told
that their initial 3 classroom unit built at the Village Of Life was at max
capacity, and that more classroom space was their greatest need. They
explained that more classroom space would help provide an education to more
rescued children.
At the time, that seemed to us
to be the most effective way to expand the available resources so that more
children could be effectively rescued.
Touch A Life Foundation, a
ministry focused solely on the needs of trafficked children, is currently
supporting 28 of the 38 children at the Village Of Life. They have worked
alongside PACODEP for several years to collectively address the issues of child
trafficking in Ghana, as well as the provision and support for rescued
children. TAL currently also supports 47 children in their temporary facility in Accra. We spent time with these kids as well during our time in Ghana.
(Photo by Touch A Life)
When
Touch A Life contacted us at the end of September, we discussed the needs of
the rescued children and the heart of our mission/goal. They offered to
help us implement these changes and also offered to match the donated funds to
help us meet our goal. We accepted their offer, based on their extensive
experience, their integrity and transparency, as well as their ability to help
us meet our goal. The funds were transferred over to them at the end of
October.
In order to ensure our funds
would be handled with the highest possible degree of responsibility and
transparency, TAL conducted a thorough review of the current resources for trafficked
children at the Village Of Life.
Key points of their review,
including but not limited to:
· An additional two classrooms have been built
adjacent to the original three classrooms at the Village Of Life, bringing the
total classrooms to five.
· Only 8 of the 28 rescued children sponsored by TAL
at the Village of Life are receiving an education. The majority of the
children currently educated at the village of life are from the neighboring
community. Note: We understand that there is a benefit to educating
trafficked and non trafficked children together, and that there is great value
in providing education to the community’s children.
TAL concluded that since roughly only half of the rescued
children currently in Kete Krachi are receiving an education at the
Village Of Life, there is sufficient classroom space for trafficked children at
the Village Of Life within the five existing classrooms.
By comparison, all 47 formerly
trafficked children in TAL's care in Accra are currently supported, sheltered, rehabilitated and
educated by Touch A Life.
In 2012, TAL will be transferring the 47 children
from Accra to a permanent facility that is being established in Kumasi. This
facility will provide for up to 100 children in TAL’s holistic rehabilitation
and care program, more than doubling their current capacity to provide support
to rescued children. Since there are
well established schools in close proximity to the new Kumasi facility which will provide integration to the children with local non-trafficked children, no
funds would be needed for constructing classrooms. Instead, funding would
be focused on the housing, care and development of the children. This will make a tremendous impact on the children who were once enslaved, but have been released into freedom.
While classroom space is still
an integral part of the program at the Village Of Life, with the classroom
space already having been expanded to five classrooms, there is currently ample
space for trafficked children to receive an education at the Village Of
Life. This ultimately changes the needs
for the resources we have raised.
After much time spent in prayer, discussion and research, our team realized that in order to serve the best interest of the trafficked children, it is imperative that we reconsider our initial plan to simply expand classroom space at the Village Of Life. We owe it to God, to the donors, but most of all, to the trafficked children, to protect the best interests of the trafficked children in Ghana.
We have carefully come to a
decision that we feel will serve the best interest the children still awaiting
rescue, as well as the children currently rescued. PACODEP and Touch A Life, although two organizations operating separately and independently, both have the same goal at the heart of their mission -- to do what's best for these
trafficked children. Our decision will help these two organization meet their goals, while still maintaining the integrity of our mission -- to provide expanded resources
to the trafficked children in ways that would help further the abolishment of child
slavery in Ghana.
Out of the funds raised
currently held in trust by TAL, $5,000 USD will be provided to PACODEP, to join
the $1,000 we have already provided to them prior to our travels for
construction materials. These funds will be used by PACODEP to provide
the construction and labor for one additional classroom. This will help
raise the amount of classroom space from the original three to a total of
six. This classroom will be equipped with sewing machines and other
resources that can be used by the older children currently residing at the
Village Of Life to gain necessary skills for successful employment.
The remaining $24,000
of the funds raised will be used by TAL to establish the Kumasi facilities, greatly increasing the resources available to rescued children. Full
accountability and transparency of how these funds are used for the Kumasi
facilities will be readily provided by Touch A Life.
Any concerns or questions
as to the distribution of these funds or how this decision was reached, please
feel free to contact Touch A Life or our team, at Africa@beyondmeasure.me
Please note that I will be in Cameroon until the end of February, and will be unable to respond until my return.
