The Lake Children - Head

Native Ghanaian Child outside of Lorneh Lodge, Keta, Ghana - photo by author
The Lake Children
Child Slavery on Lake Volta, Ghana
Bennett Smith
Head Royce School
Global Leadership Adventures at Lorneh Lodge, Keta, Ghana, June 2012. Photo by Hotel Staff.
The moment I arrived at the Lorneh Lodge Resort Hotel in the Volta Region
of Ghana, I was stunned by the beauty and luxury of our accommodations. Our
rooms were three-star cabanas, positioned right on the beach, the sand practically
spilling into our rooms. After taking everything off the bus and settling in, a few of
my group mates (other “whiteys” or “llevus” as we would come to be called) went
out to the beach to watch the sunset. We didn’t know what to expect; all of us were a
little unsettled by just how first world everything seemed. There were no emaciated
children asking for food. Adults were clothed in vibrant Ghanaian outfits - most
tailored to fit. We were not by any means in a rich town, and yet the townspeople
seemed to have basic amenities. When we got to the beach, we found there was a
whole different side to Africa--a side we’d never expected to see. A whole hoard of
2
kids came running into view, some wearing
nothing but rags and donated Gucci sandals,
others with new shorts and t-shirts. They also
carried two palm fronds. Sticking them in the
sand next to a large boulder, and sliding a
skinny stick in between the leaves, they
Children at Angola Primary School play an intense game of
ball. Photo by Author.
fashioned their very own vaulting arena –
complete with cheering fans and coaches on the sidelines: the older boys showed
the younger ones how it was done. Only the brave jumped over with a trail of “salti,
salti” shouts behind them: “higher, higher”. For twenty minutes we watched,
humbled by the simplicity and entranced by their ingenuity and utter content. One
kid, in a striped red and white shirt, and shorts two sizes too big, took a chance and
raised the bar a couple leaves higher. We were beckoned over to watch as he went
up and cleared it by at least two inches. As we all celebrated and introduced
ourselves, one of the younger kids went up to try it. Out of the corner of my eye I
saw him jump and tangle his feet around the stick. He landed with a squeal and we
ran to help him. One of the older boys came up and picked him up, making sure he
was okay. I asked him if he was his brother. He said no. I asked him what the child’s
name was. He said he didn’t know. I was struck by his gentle care. He did not
hesitate to help another child.
Ghanaians take pride in caring and looking out for others. Their ability to
connect with people and care about someone they don’t even know isn’t something
learnt from a parent or teacher. It is learned out of necessity, a kind of beautiful
3
necessity for the human to care and be cared
for.
Ghana is a country that has been
wracked by imperialist greed and divided by
slavery. The West Coast of Africa, otherwise
known as the Slave Coast or Gold Coast, is the
home of some of the richest history, and worst
anecdotes of slavery. Most infamous for its
trans-Atlantic slave forts, the West African
Coast was divided, conquered, abducted, and
Map of Ghana **
dispersed by various European
countries from the 15th and into the
19th century. 1
Portugal was the first
European nation to take claim of
present-day Ghana in 1471. Initially,
Europeans were interested in
Ghana’s rich gold resource. The area
was widely known as the source of
A man rides his bike down the main street in Keta, Ghana. Photo by Author.
gold that reached Muslim North Africa by way of trade routes across the Sahara. In
."History Slave Trade." History Slave Trade. Accessed March 14, 2013.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/history/slave-trade.php.
1
**"Ghana Map." Map. Ghana Maps. Accessed April 30, 2013.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/maps.php.
4
just ten years, Portugal had built Ghana’s first trading post, the Elmina Castle,
exporting gold, ivory and pepper. It wasn’t until the establishment of plantations in
the New World during the 1500s that the trade of material goods became the trade
of living and breathing slaves.2
The Portuguese held Ghana for almost a
century, until the loss of Fort Elmina in 1642
drove them permanently out of the region. The
next 150 years were chaotic with European
powers grabbing at the African Gold Coast as if
it were the last candy bar in the candy store.
Lake Volta, Ghana: Child workers usually work from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
on cold, windy nights to reel in nets weighing as much as 1,000
pounds when they are full of fish. Slave masters will throw children into
the water to free the trapped lines, sometimes drowning them.*
“Forts were built, abandoned, attacked,
captured, sold, and exchanged, and many sites
were selected at one time or another for fortified positions by contending European
nations.”1 The Dutch West India Company controlled throughout most of the 18th
century, followed by the British African Company of Merchants. Though the Gold
Coast may have started out as a place famous for its rich resources, it quickly
became known as the Slave Coast.1
Slavery has been a part of West African culture since the first tribes fought
their first battle. Generally, men and women would be captured during local warfare
and often treated as lower status in society. “The lowest caste within these tribes
2
Drescher, Seymour. Abolition: A History of Slavery and Antislavery. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2009.
5
were born and lived as slaves and performed the task as servants in households.”3
Many slaves were eventually absorbed into the family.3 It wasn’t until the Americas
were discovered that European interest brought Africans across waters.
This is not to say that Africans were only innocent victims in the slave trade.
Many powerful chiefs, like the rulers of Asante, Fante and Ahanta are known to have
played a part in the slave trade.1 Not to mention individual African merchants who
commanded large bands of armed men and participated in various commercial
ventures with Europeans. Some historians believe that chiefs would initiate war on
other tribes for the sole purpose to acquire
slaves to sell. In many cases, “slave-catchers”
whose sole purpose was to capture slaves and
sell them to European markets would capture
Africans from the inland. Rounded up in a coffle,
these slaves would be marched hundreds of
Children at Angola Primary School line up for a sip of bottled
water. Photo by Author.
miles to the coast in chains. All the “slavecatchers” were of African descent, and usually
native to the same regions they picked their slaves from.3 In a way, they were
products of the system. Every man had to capitalize on what he could, and some
were lucky enough to be catchers rather than slaves. It is amazing what people can
be driven to do in dire circumstances. Poverty is the circumstance of today.
3
"THE SLAVE TRADE." 25. THE SLAVE TRADE. Accessed March 18, 2013.
http://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastory/chapter25.html.
6
Although Ghana is known as the most developed African country (it was the
first to gain independence in 1957), it is also a nation still struggling with poverty.4
30% of the population is below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day5
and with the average household size at 6.5 in the more rural upper west regions, the
need for subsidized living is dire.
Father’s House is an American-founded, Ghanaian run Christian organization
located on the beach just outside of Keta whose sole purpose is to find and help
children who have been sold into slavery by their families in order to provide for
their siblings at home.
Little Christian lived in a family of six children, one mother and an absent
father. His mother worked trading bananas and eggs. They never had enough to eat,
and as soon
as he and
his brothers
and sisters
were old
enough,
they were
taken out of
school to
work with
their
mother.
When Little
Christian
was seven
years old, a
A woman carries her groceries home. Photo by Author.
4
"1957: Ghana Celebrates Independence." BBC News. June 03, 1957. Accessed April 25, 2013.
5
"At a Glance: Ghana-Statistics." UNICEF. 2010. Accessed March 05, 2013.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ghana_statistics.html.
7
man came to their door and talked to his mom. The next day, Little Christian found
himself on a boat in the middle of Lake Volta, diving in the water to untangle a net.
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t swim,” said Gideon, a 13 year-old ex-slave, as we sat
on the sand talking about Little Christian, “You don’t come up until you’ve untangled
the net. The machete is waiting for you.” Gideon is one of the Great Eight, a group of
boys that Father’s House has painstakingly followed and rescued from slavery on
Lake Volta. Their stories are similar to Little Christian’s, but they all have had happy
endings. Little Christian was found a year after being sold. His family did not look for
him, Jeremiah, the 24-year-old director of the Ghana House, heard rumors about a
little boy that had been sold, and spent six months finding him.6 When he did, Little
Christian was emaciated and lifeless, his hands scarred and calloused, and his belly
protruded from malnutrition. “It takes a village to get a child back,” Jeremiah says,
“We cannot get help from local police because they are paid off, and the government
is no help.” Ghanaian government has a military faction devoted to human
trafficking, but Jeremiah says, “The time [it takes] to file a report is too long.” By the
time federal forces can be contacted, the fisherman can “disappear to another
island.” Lake Volta is the largest human made lake in the world, and the fourth
largest by water volume. The basin is 3,283 sq miles, covering 3.6% of the nation.7 It
is home to three main islands, Dodi, Dwarf and Kporve and innumerable smaller
6
"Interview with Jeremiah." Telephone interview by author. April 25, 2013.
* "Slavery Still Exists." The Atlantic. Accessed April 30, 2013.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/slavery-still-exists/262847/.
7
"The Volta River Basin and the Akosombo Dam." Digital image. Center for Colombia River History.
8
islands. I myself have yet to find a cohesive map of all the islands. A fisherman can
be in his boat and off to another island in a matter of hours. Little Christian was
kidnapped from Father’s House twice. After Little Christian’s second abduction,
Jeremiah realized bartering was the only way to get him back. One brand new boat
and a few nets later, Little Christian was eating his first real meal in months at
Father’s House. In two months, he was steadily going to school with the other boys
and the nightmares that haunted him night after night seemed to have subsided. He
was doing well, until one day when he did not return from school with the rest of
the Great Eight.
Little Christian’s “uncle” had
picked him up from school. It didn’t
take long for Jeremiah to figure out
what had happened. Little Christian
had been taken back into slavery.
This is one reason the boys are not
The Author with orphans from New Seed International. Photo by
Sarah Richardson.
allowed to go back to their families.
The value of one child is not as great as the value of food for the five others. Another
five months and Jeremiah was once again scouring islands for Little Christian, when
a boy’s raspy voice called his name. It was a skinny, emaciated child, huddled among
three others sharing a bowl of rice. Jeremiah was gratified, of course, “I could still
see the light in his eyes, but it was different, something had changed in [Little
Christian].” Back at Father’s House, it took six months for another “uncle” to find
9
him again. They have yet to find Little Christian.
Most textbooks teach that slavery was abolished in the 1820’s. They would
be right, if they were just talking about the legal, trans-Atlantic slave trade. However
that is not the only form of slavery in the world. In reality, slavery is still a
prominent issue in almost every country. Only the name has changed. These days,
slavery is referred to as human trafficking, sex trafficking, child labor, etc; but they
all mean the same thing: unpaid, non-consensual, dangerous, most likely physically and
emotionally taxing work. Lisa Kristine, a photojournalist interested in the prevalence of
slavery in the world found that some slaves near Accra, Ghana “had children with them
while panning for gold, wading in waters poisoned by mercury that is used in the
extraction process.”8 The fact is, slavery is as much a problem today, as it was a hundred
years ago.10 It just isn’t legal anymore.
The International Justice Mission, a foundation for ending human trafficking
based out of Washington, DC, states that there are more slaves today than ever
before.9 Challenging Heights, another Ghana-based NGO that helps rescue child
slaves, estimates that over 24000 children are forced to work on Lake Volta every
year.10 In 2010, UNICEF announced that 34% of Ghanaian children within the ages
of 5-14 were employed in some sort of domestic or agricultural work.5 This does not
8
"Slavery Still Exists." The Atlantic. Accessed April 30, 2013.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/slavery-still-exists/262847/.
9
"Who We Are." International Justice Mission |. Accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.ijm.org/whowe-are.
10
"Your Investment Will Change Lives." Challenging Heights RSS. Accessed April 25, 2013.
http://challengingheights.org/ch/what-we-do/core-projects/.
10
mean that 34% of children are taken out of school to work. Many of the children I
worked with at the Angola School in the town of Keta, Ghana went home to help out
at their family’s store, and worked at the markets on the weekends. School is
important to Ghanaian children these days. The rate of attendance has almost
doubled between generations. The National Ghana Living Standards Survey found
that “Current school attendance rate of school-going age persons at all levels of
education in Ghana is 86 percent” as opposed to the “36 percent [of adults] that
have MSLC/BECE/VOC certificate as
their highest qualification.” Most
children that go on to secondary school
have high hopes. Grace, a student at
Anlo Senior High School, wants to
become a lawyer; her friends all hope to
become nurses, doctors, and lawyers.
A young girl helps her mother in their family store. Photo by Author.
They may grow up to go to university and complete med school or pass the Bar
Exam. Many that get this far will move to North America for a better life. On the
plane ride back to the US, I sat next to a young Ghanaian man who was doing just
that. David had never flown before, and with a nervous stutter, he told me of his
plans to meet his uncle in Kansas and work at his auto shop. To me this sounded like
a long way to go to work a not so lucrative job in Kansas, but to him it was not all
about the work. America promises a growing land of economy, acceptance and
freedom. What David may not have realized is that in some respects, America is not
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that different from his home country.
Many people don’t think slavery happens locally. Human Trafficking is a
foreign term that only applies to you when you send your monthly check to your
“adopted” son via the Child Foundation, or that time you got nervous watching
“Taken” before you went to
Paris. What if you heard the
alliteration CSEC, and its
definition: “commercially
sexually exploited child?”911
What if you learned that this
term is used frequently in
reference to Oakland youth?
An orphan at New Seed International gives me a letter with his ambitions of
becoming a doctor. Photo by Matt Dawson.
According to the Oakland Police
Department, roughly 100
teenagers are trafficked for commercial sex every night. “ ‘Drug dealers are leaving
selling dope, and selling children instead,’ because of the high profits and lower risk,
said Deputy District Attorney Bock in an interview with Oakland Local’s Barbara
Grandy.12
I was not trafficked, abused, or witness to any abuse as a child. No one ever
11
"Who Is a CSEC?" - MISSSEY: Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited
Youth. Accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.misssey.org/csec.html.
12 Grandy, Barbara. "Youth Trafficking in Oakland: Big Business Despite Government, Police Efforts
(Series Part 1) | Oakland Local." Oakland Local. Accessed April 25, 2013.
http://oaklandlocal.com/article/youth-trafficking-part-1.
12
touched me the wrong way, or said inappropriate things to me. I don’t have any
personal resentment to the pimp that bought me from my mother, nor do I
remember the faces of the men that took my body in exchange for a bill.9 Does this
mean that I have no right to care? No, it only means I am in a situation to help. Little
Christian’s story, and the stories of the other eight boys hit me hard. I realized that
there is more to philanthropy than the sorority claim to “goodness” or putting it on
my college applications. There are real world problems that can be helped. My
service was no longer written on a page, but in action. I saw the change in these
boy’s lives, I saw their eyes light up when we first came up the walkway to Father’s
House. We can actually make a difference, a visible, tangible difference.
The Misssey organization is an NGO working to help CSECs, and pass
legislature that will allow CSECs to be considered as victims, instead of criminals.9
At present, current California Law states that In 2005, California enacted the AB 22
California Trafficking Victims Protection Act (CTVPA), which established human
trafficking for forced labor or services as a felony crime punishable by a sentence of
3, 4 or 5 years in state prison and a sentence of 4, 6 or 8 years for trafficking of a
minor. There is no stated penalty for sex trafficking of a minor without force.13
Donations can be made through the Misssey organization, and support for new
legislature is always needed. Volunteer opportunities for Misssey range from
manning help-services phone lines to fostering a CSEC. Applications can be found on
their website www.misssey.org.
13
"Current Laws Against Human Trafficking." Current Human Trafficking Laws Fact Sheet. Accessed
April 25, 2013. http://www.caseact.org/learn/law/.
13
Father’s House Ghana has a twitter feed that provides daily updates about
the Great Eight, and ways to help. “What can YOU do to help us end child slavery in
Ghana? Put a red X on your
hand today and start a
Father’s House Twitter Feed ***
conversation.” Using the hash
tag #enditmovement, you can
participate in the social movement to end human trafficking. Spreading the word is
the easiest way to help. “Together, let's raise a massive SHOUT OUT for FREEDOM &
the 27 million. Let's get #enditmovement trending!”14
Human trafficking is an issue prevalent in most any urban area around the
world. If we just keep going with blinders on, ignoring it, nothing will change.
Helping is as easy as donating a few dollars, or telling just one person about the
movement. Tweet your support with #enditmovement! On May 6th, 2013, the
Oakland Youth Commission will hold the first ever district officiated hearing on
human trafficking in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is not some small thing that the
“kids” are doing. The Oakland Youth Commission is working alongside the Oakland
Police Force and Alameda County Courts. This is just one example of what an
organization can make happen. It may be a cliché, but my trip to Ghana not only
opened my eyes to the terrors we humans can inflict, but also the tremendous
amount of good one person can achieve. Father’s House was started by one average
American couple that saw a problem, and an opportunity to help. Jeremiah, the man
***
"Father's House Ghana Twitter Feed." Twitter. Accessed April 25, 2013.
https://twitter.com/fathershousegh.
14
who manages Father’s House did not grow up a slave. He works to help those who
cannot help themselves. I learned much from the Ghanaian culture, but the most
important was that we are all a family, no matter where we come from. We all share
this world, and there’s no reason to turn our backs on the less fortunate. There is
much more gratification in striving for togetherness, than living in a bubble of
ignorance.
Bibliography
"1957: Ghana Celebrates Independence." BBC News. June 03, 1957. Accessed April 25,
2013.
15
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/6/newsid_2515000/251545
9.stm.
Adusei, Aikins. "Poverty, Africa's Modern Day Slavery." Modern Ghana, February 18,
2009. Accessed March 5, 2013.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/203170/1/poverty-africas-modern-dayslavery.html.
This article blames poverty for Africa's current state of slavery. Modern Ghana is
an Internet hub for current affairs pertaining to Ghana and Africa as a whole. The author,
Lord Aikins Adusei, is a graduate of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
specializing in Energy. He writes many articles about the state of Africa. He is a selfproclaimed "writer, political activist and commentator and anti-corruption campaigner."
An active blogger, his posts are current and biased, but offer unique insight into the
educated and traveled, African on the state of poverty and such.
Al., Alan Whitaker, Et. "Captive Workers: Today's Slavery." Panoscope (Panos Institute).
March 1990: 2-15. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 21 Mar 2013.
This is a PANOSCOPE news article on slavery in Bangkok. Not much is of use to
Ghana or Africa specifically, but it does make some good points about the UN treaties
and their relation to human trafficking in developing countries.
Amnesty International. Respect My Rights, Respect My Dignity - Module One: Poverty
and Human Rights. 2011.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ACT35/021/2011/en.
This module is part of an Education for Human Dignity Resource Pack. The pack
aims to enable young people and those working with them to understand the links
between human rights violations and poverty. This Module is an extensive document
provided to educate on the state of poverty and how to take action. Ghana as well as other
countries is highlighted as examples. Amnesty is a credible resource for human rights and
poverty given that the organization deals heavily in these areas.
Applied History Research Group. "Peopling North America: Population Movements &
Migration." Home. 2001. Accessed March 18, 2013.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/migrations/four2.html.
This is an essay from the University of Calgary on migrations. It delves into the
nature of the Diaspora and effects of transatlantic slavery on African culture. A
University endorsed/published document is reliable because it insures that professors
have approved it. The information is straightforward and congruent with other
information I have found on the topic.
"At a Glance: Ghana-Statistics." UNICEF. 2010. Accessed March 05, 2013.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ghana_statistics.html.
16
These are broad statistics on Ghana feature some stats on child protection. This is
a good primary resource on current (2010) status of child labor. UNICEF is an
organization committed to protecting the rights of children around the world. Their
statistical breakdown shows reliable sources.
"At a Glance: United States of America." UNICEF. Accessed April 01, 2013.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/usa_statistics.html.
This set of data is useful used in contrast to the same data on Ghana. UNICEF
doesn't have as many statistics on the US, most likely because their work is based mostly
in developing countries. However, there are still some useful data in this set.
Banjul. "Child Sex Slavery Confirmed in Ghana Town." Africa News Service, February
24, 2004. Accessed March 13, 2013.
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverT
ype=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=
view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=fal
se&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&action=e&catI
d=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA113569649.
Batstone, David. "Slavery Today: Human Trafficking :: National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center." National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - Cincinnati,
Ohio. Accessed March 5, 2013. http://www.freedomcenter.org/slavery-today/.
This article is a good concise history on African Slavery. The National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center is part of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations
Program and it is the center for the Underground Railroad story. They have exhibits and
stories on Harriet Tubman and the African Diaspora.
Chronicle. "Power Plant For VALCO." Modernghana.com. March 26, 2003. Accessed
March 05, 2013. http://www.modernghana.com/news/172616/1/power-plant-forvalco.html.
This is an article from Daily Graphic, Posted on Modern Ghana, a website hub for
current news. VALCO, an aluminum-supplier, is not meeting basic energy needs with
Volta dam. "At full strength two years ago, 1,600 persons were in the employment of the
aluminum smelter." What are the effects of this on labor conditions and poverty rate?
Crowe, Portia. "Understanding the Roots of Ghana's Child Labor." Inter Press Service,
July 18, 2012. Accessed March 28, 2013.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/07/111064/.
This article comments on the present-day state of child labor in urban areas of
Ghana. Specifically, interviews with a child worker, Thema, and UNICEF Officer Emilia
Allan provide insight into the topic. Conversations of human rights, developmental
17
impact, and poverty are present. This is an editorial piece definitely airing against child
labor and trying to get readers to empathize. However, the information and personal
perspectives could be useful.
"Current Laws Against Human Trafficking." Current Human Trafficking Laws Fact
Sheet. Accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.caseact.org/learn/law/.
"Dear Bennett." Divine to Bennett Smith.
This is a letter I received from one of my students. Divine was fourteen and in
level 5B. While most children wore a uniform, he did not. This may have been because of
money or he may have just not gotten a new one yet. The interesting part of this is that
while we had many conversations and connected a lot, he still wrote the same things
asking for materials and charity like all the other kids.
Dr. Bediako, Grace, comp. GHANA LIVING STANDARDS SURVEY REPORT OF THE
FIFTH ROUND (GLSS 5). Publication. September 2008. Accessed April 25,
2013. http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/glss5_report.pdf.
Primary Source: Detailed statistical findings on Ghana country demographics.
The preface details how they went about surveying, and the data seems cohesive. The
GLSS 5 data has already been used to prepare and launch a Poverty Analysis Report on
Ghana.
Drescher, Seymour. Abolition: A History of Slavery and Antislavery. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2009.
"Father's House Ghana Twitter Feed." Twitter. Accessed April 25, 2013.
https://twitter.com/fathershousegh.
Daily updates on the Great Eight and everyday ways to help get the word out
about how to help!
Garrett, Matt. "FATHERS HOUSE INTERNATIONAL-GHANA." Giveback.org.
https://www.giveback.org/cause/18149/FATHERS-HOUSE-INTERNATIONALGHANA.aspx.
This blurb on Father's House International gives an overview on the mission and
founding of the organization that helps liberate boys from slavery on Lake Volta. The
author, Matt Garrett is one of the founders. He is a Christian that believes he is doing
well, so he is not, obviously, critiquing his own organization. The purpose of this blurb is
to initiate funds for the organization, so it may be over-dramatized.
"Ghana." 03. Accessed March 14, 2013. http://school.eb.com/eb/article-9110781.
"Ghana Map." Map. Ghana Maps. Accessed April 30, 2013.
18
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/maps.php.
"Gold Coast/ Slave Trade." History Of Ghana. 1994. Accessed March 5, 2013.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/history/slave-trade.php.
This is a historical summary of transatlantic slavery in Ghana. Ghana Web is a
news source catered to Ghanaians. Along with daily news, entertainment and sports,
essays are also published here.
Grandy, Barbara. "Youth Trafficking in Oakland: Big Business Despite Government,
Police Efforts (Series Part 1) | Oakland Local." Oakland Local. Accessed April
25, 2013. http://oaklandlocal.com/article/youth-trafficking-part-1.
"History Slave Trade." History Slave Trade. Accessed March 14, 2013.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/history/slave-trade.php.
"Interview with Jeremiah." Telephone interview by author. April 25, 2013.
IRIN • Humanitarian News and Analysis from Africa, Asia and the Middle East Updated Daily. "IRIN Africa | GHANA-GAMBIA: Sex Slave Children
Trafficked by Ghanaian Fishermen | West Africa | Ghana Gambia | Children |
News Item." February 26, 2004. Accessed March 5, 2013.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=48765.
Fisherman on lake Volta and sex trafficking are the focus. Girls have different
slave duties than boys. "Meanwhile, their masters’ own children went to school and had
all their usual domestic chores, like washing their school uniforms and even cleaning
their shoes, done for them by the trafficked children." What are the effects not only on
the slaves, but also on the children of the slave-owners? IRIN is a service of the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The article makes use of country
statistics and a current event of 63 saved slaves.
Left, Sarah. "Sons for Sale - Child Slavery in Ghana | World News | Guardian.co.uk."
Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk, March
22, 2007. Accessed March 4, 2013.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/mar/22/sarahleft.
Integrated Personal Narrative-interview with a family, some data on financial
benefits.
"Misssey." Digital image. Accessed April 29, 2013.
http://www.womensfoundca.org/sites/default/files/styles/grant_partner_logo_listi
ng/public/MISSSEY.jpg.
Polgreen, Lydia. "Ghana's Uneasy Embrace of Slavery's Diaspora." Ghana's Uneasy
Embrace of Slavery's Diaspora, December 27, 2005. Accessed March 5, 2013.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/27/international/africa/27ghana.html?_r=1.
"THE SLAVE TRADE." 25. THE SLAVE TRADE. Accessed March 18, 2013.
http://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastory/chapter25.html.
"Slavery Still Exists." The Atlantic. Accessed April 30, 2013.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/slavery-stillexists/262847/.
PHOTOS
United Nations. UN Treaties.
http://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/1990/09/19900902%200314%20AM/Ch_IV_11p.pdf.
This is the office for UN Treaties, anything found here is a primary source. There
are some interesting treaties on Human Rights.
"The Volta River Basin and the Akosombo Dam." Digital image. Center for Colombia
River History. http://www.ccrh.org/images/resources/akosombo_revised_ds.pdf.
This is brief history of the building of Lake Volta, a manmade damn. The interest
in impact and mass of such a lake is touched on. Reputable institutions back the image
and article: Washington State Historical Society, Portland State University, and
Washington State University Vancouver.
"Who Is a CSEC?" - MISSSEY: Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually
Exploited Youth. Accessed April 25, 2013. http://www.misssey.org/csec.html.
"Who We Are." International Justice Mission |. Accessed April 25, 2013.
http://www.ijm.org/who-we-are.
"Your Investment Will Change Lives." Challenging Heights RSS. Accessed April 25,
2013. http://challengingheights.org/ch/what-we-do/core-projects/.
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