Today 3 new volunteers from Switzerland joined our team. They are my age and getting their degrees in Education. They’re doing an internship with CORM which will include teaching classes for the next month. It was really great to watch them see the school and the children for the first time. They had all of the same questions and thoughts that I had two weeks ago. CORM truly is so eye opening. I can understand how the slow-pace Ghanaian culture can be hard for some people to get used to. At CORM, all you need is an open mind and trust in God.
At school today I continued to work on the mural. I went around to more classrooms and set up the handprint activity again. I thought it was so beautiful how many of the kids would write things like “God is Good” or draw crosses on their handprints. I love how present their Christian religion is throughout the course of their days.
In the evening I got to talk to Stacy a little more which I am thankful for because I feel like I only ever see her in passing and she is such an amazing person. We began discussing the governments role in Human Trafficking. I asked if they encourage adoption. To my surprise, I learned that adoption is not a thing. If a woman truly wants to adopt, she will leave and come back and pretend as if she had a baby. With this method, she cannot come back with a child any older than two or it will be too suspicious. Thus, adoption is very rare and only truly exists for newborns. This does not help the thousands of children on the lake who are older, normally age 5 and up. I asked her if children are ever adopted internationally. I wondered this because I think it would be very difficult to take a child out of their culture and society. She explained to me how a few years ago they actually ran into huge issues with this. Only two children have been adopted out of CORM which is when Stacy and Johnbull learned about the legal side of it. Foreign adoption became a form of Human Trafficking itself. Foreign investors would “adopt” a bunch of children, being them back to let’s say the U.S., then start an orphanage with them. Eventually, they would then “re-sell” these children and make a very large profit. She heard about a situation a few years back where children that were taken to the U.S. under this system would then be adopted and later on start talking about their “mom and dad” back home. This was obviously a big shock to the adoption parents. One set of parents tried to “return” the child after the child told them they have a mom and dad but were told to lie and say it was their aunt and uncle.
I participated in bible study with the older kids this week. The structure of their meeting follows a “see the story, hear the story, join the story” outline. We began with a quick recap from last week. Then we watched a video that depicted a chapter in Psalms. They do a new chapter each week. This video was very entertaining and the creator had incredible artistic skills that kept everyone engaged from what I saw. After the video, the kids acted this out by each having a different assigned character with a given script. I found this to be a fun and effective way for them to remember the story that they just heard. They had a big screen projected so everyone could follow along with the script. After this, we broke into small groups to discuss. This is where we talked about ways to “join the story” meaning how we can apply the messages we just saw and heard into our own lives. The themes were prayer, struggle, and thankfulness. Despite our cultural differences, I’ve learned during my time here that we all pray for similar things, struggle with similar things, and are thankful for similar things.
I wrote down some of the admirable quotes that I heard the girls say tonight:
“I’m waiting for God to use me for his plans.”
“God is with us no matter what happens.”
“We have to help others understand the way we see it; we cannot blame them if they do not.”
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Day 11: Mural Day
Today was a great day. I feel so comfortable in the school now because I know all of the faces and most of their names. I started one last project today and hope to complete it before I leave. I’m re-doing a mural in the school. The mural is of a tree and handprints from all of the students make up the leaves. However, this mural has been there for 6 years so the sun has ruined all of the bright colors. The first step was removing all of the handprints. They were made from construction paper and then glued to the tree that is painted on the wall. After trying to rip these off for a few minutes I thought “this is going to take forever.” The younger kids were on break so I had them help me scrape. We added soapy water which made they come off much easier. One of the kids said, “It’s working!” Then he said the cutest thing. He explained to me how this is what they talked about at bible study on Wednesday. He said they read a passage where someone wanted to give up but they kept their faith in God and in the end they were successful (long story short). I loved the fact that he was making this connection with our little mural dilemma. They look up to God so much that it motivates me to work harder at my own faith.
Next, I went around to half of the classrooms to collect everyone’s handprint. In the very young rooms I would just trace the hands for them and write their name. As they got older we were able to make it into a little activity. They would trace their own hand and then decorate it as they wish. Things were going well until I introduced glitter. Big no-no. I can feel glitter in my hair right now. Anyway, I’m very excited to see this mural come to life and know that I was a part of something that will stay on the wall of the school for a long time.
We also organized student council elections this past week. There are six positions: school prefect, office prefect, and compound prefect (a president and Vice President for each). Laurel and I went around to each of the classes explaining the three positions. We told them that if they want to run they will have to write a short speech and they can come to us during break or lunch time if they want help. The first day no one approached us so I was worried that no one would run. Soon enough there was about 15 people signed up for each position. This was a lot considering the entire school is about 200 students. We helped them write their speeches and finally we held a voting ceremony where they presented them. A lot of them seemed very nervous to speak in front of that many kids which I felt bad about. In the end, all six winners were CORM kids. I am excited that they will have the opportunity to learn new leadership skills. I think they can set a lot of good examples for the younger kids.
After dinner the CORM children have 2 hours of study time. I’ve noticed in two of the classes there is an outlier student that is much older. This is because they started school so late into their lives. The majority of their childhood was spent on the lake or other forms of human trafficking. This extra study period helps the students who are behind catch up a little to kids who are their age. Tonight, I helped the older kids with their math homework. I’ve learned that I really like working with the older kids because I can tell they’re listening. I’ve also noticed that the older kids are very dedicated to their school work. Especially the final grade level: Junior High 3. This class has their big entrance exam for Senior High coming up in July. Every school day that I’ve been here for they’ve taken practice exams. It is so rigorous. Their senior high admittance is based solely on their exam score.
Next, I went around to half of the classrooms to collect everyone’s handprint. In the very young rooms I would just trace the hands for them and write their name. As they got older we were able to make it into a little activity. They would trace their own hand and then decorate it as they wish. Things were going well until I introduced glitter. Big no-no. I can feel glitter in my hair right now. Anyway, I’m very excited to see this mural come to life and know that I was a part of something that will stay on the wall of the school for a long time.
We also organized student council elections this past week. There are six positions: school prefect, office prefect, and compound prefect (a president and Vice President for each). Laurel and I went around to each of the classes explaining the three positions. We told them that if they want to run they will have to write a short speech and they can come to us during break or lunch time if they want help. The first day no one approached us so I was worried that no one would run. Soon enough there was about 15 people signed up for each position. This was a lot considering the entire school is about 200 students. We helped them write their speeches and finally we held a voting ceremony where they presented them. A lot of them seemed very nervous to speak in front of that many kids which I felt bad about. In the end, all six winners were CORM kids. I am excited that they will have the opportunity to learn new leadership skills. I think they can set a lot of good examples for the younger kids.
After dinner the CORM children have 2 hours of study time. I’ve noticed in two of the classes there is an outlier student that is much older. This is because they started school so late into their lives. The majority of their childhood was spent on the lake or other forms of human trafficking. This extra study period helps the students who are behind catch up a little to kids who are their age. Tonight, I helped the older kids with their math homework. I’ve learned that I really like working with the older kids because I can tell they’re listening. I’ve also noticed that the older kids are very dedicated to their school work. Especially the final grade level: Junior High 3. This class has their big entrance exam for Senior High coming up in July. Every school day that I’ve been here for they’ve taken practice exams. It is so rigorous. Their senior high admittance is based solely on their exam score.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Day 10: Teaching Health Class
Today was my first full day of teaching. I went to three different classrooms, Junior High School 1 and 2 as well as 4th grade. My assignment was to give a 1 hour lesson to each of them on two topics: the importance of hand-washing and malaria. I started off doing a quick recap with what they remember from their last health class. This was a few months ago and Dr. Troy taught them about oral hygiene as well as total health. I was happy that the students were able to remember and explain what they previously learned. I think health classes should be taught much more regularly here. Especially in an area where they are close to a lot of open water as well as jungle and may not be aware of the health risks or possible diseases that can come with these environments.
Next, I moved into the first topic with a skit that showed a child playing in the dirt with a dog, then his mother calls him in to eat and he begins eating right away. The next day he is very sick. I asked the class what they saw happening. They picked up on the fact that the boy did not wash his hands before eating after he was playing in the dirt with the dog. After this we went over the necessary times we should be washing our hands. This seems like basic knowledge that we know in the U.S. and these children know it as well; however, they do not act on it. Their school bathrooms do not even have soap. . Their lack of handwashing skills are especially concerning considering the large majority of them eat with their hands. Ghanaian culture simply mixes and consumes their food with their right hand. I think this is why many kids said we must wash our hands after we eat, but failed to say that it is important to wash them before eating.
We did a second skit where someone washed her hands real quick in a tub of water and another person washed her hands with running water and soap. We noted the difference. The skits really helped kids actively participate and stay engaged. We used sticky rice on our hands to symbolize germs. We cannot see germs but they are there. Since it is a very Christian society, I turned this into a discussion about how sinning can be a lot like germs. Our sins can affect other people just like our germs can spread to others. We ask God for forgiveness so he will cleanse our heart of sins just like we must cleanse our hands of germs. I think the kids really enjoyed making these connections.
Next we discussed malaria. During the first class I asked if anyone has had malaria before. I was shocked to find that there was no one who hadn’t had it before. Every single one of them has had it at least once. These results continued in my next two classes. From there, I asked them to describe the symptoms they experienced. We discussed areas where Malaria is most present as well as the type of people that are most at risk. Then we went through the many ways to prevent malaria in the first place. At first I was nervous about teaching the older kids but they ended up being very active participants. They asked sophisticated questions that deepened our conversations. For example, they were curious why there isn’t malaria in the U.S. Later on, when we were coming up with ways to prevent malaria one kid suggested moving to the U.S. I was like alright sure, way to think outside the box, now let’s think of some more simple ways, haha. I really enjoyed hearing their answers and getting to know them better. I felt like I was able to learn a few new things from them as well.
There have been several outbreaks at CORM, including malaria and whooping cough. They live in such close quarters and share a lot of personal space. I have also seen them share food. Without knowing the proper ways to take care of our health, it is very easy for germs to spread, especially in schools and living environments such as CORM.
Next, I moved into the first topic with a skit that showed a child playing in the dirt with a dog, then his mother calls him in to eat and he begins eating right away. The next day he is very sick. I asked the class what they saw happening. They picked up on the fact that the boy did not wash his hands before eating after he was playing in the dirt with the dog. After this we went over the necessary times we should be washing our hands. This seems like basic knowledge that we know in the U.S. and these children know it as well; however, they do not act on it. Their school bathrooms do not even have soap. . Their lack of handwashing skills are especially concerning considering the large majority of them eat with their hands. Ghanaian culture simply mixes and consumes their food with their right hand. I think this is why many kids said we must wash our hands after we eat, but failed to say that it is important to wash them before eating.
We did a second skit where someone washed her hands real quick in a tub of water and another person washed her hands with running water and soap. We noted the difference. The skits really helped kids actively participate and stay engaged. We used sticky rice on our hands to symbolize germs. We cannot see germs but they are there. Since it is a very Christian society, I turned this into a discussion about how sinning can be a lot like germs. Our sins can affect other people just like our germs can spread to others. We ask God for forgiveness so he will cleanse our heart of sins just like we must cleanse our hands of germs. I think the kids really enjoyed making these connections.
Next we discussed malaria. During the first class I asked if anyone has had malaria before. I was shocked to find that there was no one who hadn’t had it before. Every single one of them has had it at least once. These results continued in my next two classes. From there, I asked them to describe the symptoms they experienced. We discussed areas where Malaria is most present as well as the type of people that are most at risk. Then we went through the many ways to prevent malaria in the first place. At first I was nervous about teaching the older kids but they ended up being very active participants. They asked sophisticated questions that deepened our conversations. For example, they were curious why there isn’t malaria in the U.S. Later on, when we were coming up with ways to prevent malaria one kid suggested moving to the U.S. I was like alright sure, way to think outside the box, now let’s think of some more simple ways, haha. I really enjoyed hearing their answers and getting to know them better. I felt like I was able to learn a few new things from them as well.
There have been several outbreaks at CORM, including malaria and whooping cough. They live in such close quarters and share a lot of personal space. I have also seen them share food. Without knowing the proper ways to take care of our health, it is very easy for germs to spread, especially in schools and living environments such as CORM.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Day 9
Happy Sunday! Sunday’s are very casual here. You basically walk around until you find something to keep you busy for an hour or so and then walk around some more. We woke up, had our breakfast, and then church casually started around 9, ending at noon. The power has been going on and off due to the rain so they hooked the generator up to the church so the fans would work, thank God for that. They have a translator for the local people who come to church and only speak ewe or tre (a couple of the local languages, there are many). Church was filled with dancing and celebration again. Pastor Johnbull honored the three graduates again and called up a family that was attending this church for the first time. I thought this was so personal and helps make this church feel like home for them. We all welcomed them.
After mass, I couldn’t tell you how many games of Uno I played. I’ll be playing that in my sleep tonight. I also tried to join a game of soccer with the older guys. However, they don’t wear shoes so I tried to play along without shoes as well. After the third person stepped on my foot I decided to watch instead. My little buddy Abigail and I were cheering them on. She is such a polite and cheerful little girl. Since I’ve been eating carbs for every meal I decided to work out and Abigail decided she was gonna be my fitness coach. We started doing some laps around the basketball court and the deal was I couldn’t let her catch me. She’s 8 years old and not gonna lie I struggled. The Ghanaian heat is not my friend. Then we did sit ups together while facing each other and clapped in the middle. Don’t know how I’m gonna stay in shape when I’m back in the U.S. without her.
After dinner, Johnbull and Stacy had a small informal meeting with me and the two other volunteers. He asked us how we were enjoying our time, the food, and anything we were concerned about, etc. I feel extremely happy with my time here. Although the days pass slowly, they are always filled with new people and adventures to look back on at the end of the day. I feel like every day I am still learning and seeing new faces. I am looking forward to this week and plan to keep branching out. Each of the kids here are so special and unique. I also love the fact that they are all collectively so religious. Many of their responses to questions revolve around God. For example, I asked little Abigail what she wants to be when she grows up. She responded, “whatever God has planned for me!” I was so blown away by her maturity. She also really stands out to me during church. She worships so energetically in her own space, nothing distracts her. Her eyes stay pinned to Pastor Johnbull so attentively while the other kids are mostly playing, drawing, or talking. These kids truly give all of their grace and thanks up to God. They worship Him so greatly and will have casual conversations with one another about God working in their lives. I love this. Johnbull gave us memorable advice at the end of the meeting when we prayed. He said keep giving, keep emptying your heart because then God will be able to fill it back up again with more plans and aspirations for us. I think this is a great way to go about life. God is good, baby.
After mass, I couldn’t tell you how many games of Uno I played. I’ll be playing that in my sleep tonight. I also tried to join a game of soccer with the older guys. However, they don’t wear shoes so I tried to play along without shoes as well. After the third person stepped on my foot I decided to watch instead. My little buddy Abigail and I were cheering them on. She is such a polite and cheerful little girl. Since I’ve been eating carbs for every meal I decided to work out and Abigail decided she was gonna be my fitness coach. We started doing some laps around the basketball court and the deal was I couldn’t let her catch me. She’s 8 years old and not gonna lie I struggled. The Ghanaian heat is not my friend. Then we did sit ups together while facing each other and clapped in the middle. Don’t know how I’m gonna stay in shape when I’m back in the U.S. without her.
After dinner, Johnbull and Stacy had a small informal meeting with me and the two other volunteers. He asked us how we were enjoying our time, the food, and anything we were concerned about, etc. I feel extremely happy with my time here. Although the days pass slowly, they are always filled with new people and adventures to look back on at the end of the day. I feel like every day I am still learning and seeing new faces. I am looking forward to this week and plan to keep branching out. Each of the kids here are so special and unique. I also love the fact that they are all collectively so religious. Many of their responses to questions revolve around God. For example, I asked little Abigail what she wants to be when she grows up. She responded, “whatever God has planned for me!” I was so blown away by her maturity. She also really stands out to me during church. She worships so energetically in her own space, nothing distracts her. Her eyes stay pinned to Pastor Johnbull so attentively while the other kids are mostly playing, drawing, or talking. These kids truly give all of their grace and thanks up to God. They worship Him so greatly and will have casual conversations with one another about God working in their lives. I love this. Johnbull gave us memorable advice at the end of the meeting when we prayed. He said keep giving, keep emptying your heart because then God will be able to fill it back up again with more plans and aspirations for us. I think this is a great way to go about life. God is good, baby.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Day 8: Different Hospital Visit
In Ghana especially its all about who you know. You can get things done so much quicker and easier if you know someone. Johnbull knows the owner of a hospital in Accra. This owner has been extremely helpful with making sure the children of CORM healthy. For 7 years he has given Johnbull free medical care for them. CORM takes every kid to the hospital right after being rescued to find out their medical conditions. It seems that the longer they spent at the lake the more health problems they have.
Today, Johnbull, Dr Troy and I took two of the CORM kids. Anthony has had blood in his urine from the parasite in the lake. Daniel lost his hearing in his right ear from mumps. This is because mumps causing swelling around the glands and ears. Johnbull had to pay for the boys before they could take a seat to be seen. As I mentioned in a previous blog, you will not be seen if you don’t pay up front. No money, no service. I asked Dr. Troy how health insurance works here. He said it covers all the basic vaccines; however, the government wants all children to be vaccinated so you likely will be even without insurance. It is also rare to keep an immunization record. Rescued children rarely know their whether they were vaccinated or not because they were too young to remember.The World Health Organization also really helps out Ghana so that diseases are contained.
It is also rare to have electronic medical records. Anthony and Daniel received a small little laminated notecard with their information on it after Johnbull signed them in. Next time, they must bring the notecard with them so that the secretaries can find their folder. Dr. Troy is worried about them going on to senior high without vaccinations because they will be living in close quarters with other people. I mentioned before they do not get vaccinated after age two. They could very likely lose immunity after so long without the vaccine.
Going to the hospital is a full day event. There are no scheduled appointments so you must get there early and wait. Hospitals have speciality doctors but they are only there 1-2 days a week; you have to catch them at the right time. This seems so frustrating to me. Today, there was only one doctor on call and he took about 30 minutes per patient. There were 8 patients in from of us when we got there. When we were next in line, a man returned and the nurse let him cut to the front. Johnbull said “Hey we have been waiting a long time.” She said that he got here earlier this morning, left for a short while and now returned. This seemed like an unfair system. I learned that staff will often allow the elderly to cut in line.
We arrived at the hospital around 9 and left at 3:30. Dr. Troy said hardest thing for him to get used to since moving here has been how arbitrary time is. There will be a meeting scheduled at noon and people do not show up until 12:30, 1:00, or whenever that can. Last week, It took him 7 hours to get his oil changed. Many things that seem like a simple errand are often full day events.
I picked up on the fact that nurses wear outfits based on their rank/year. A white dress had more respect and experience than a green dress and a belt around their outfit signified even higher rank. Another small observation that I made is that the doctors/nurses/and staff all wear flip flops. This isn’t something I’d see in America for safety and sanitary reasons.
If you have type 1 Diabetes in Ghana you will very likely die because there’s not refrigeration or proper equipment to keep up with it. Have to have insulin. Diet is also very high in carbs which would make managing diabetes all the more difficult. This diet is not something that can be easily changed since high carb foods are most readily available. The cities have a higher rate of success but still unlikely. When people do not know what people die from it makes it hard to track their family’s history. In many cases in the U.S., a family history helps doctors diagnose since there are high rates of heredity with a lot of health issues.
Today, Johnbull, Dr Troy and I took two of the CORM kids. Anthony has had blood in his urine from the parasite in the lake. Daniel lost his hearing in his right ear from mumps. This is because mumps causing swelling around the glands and ears. Johnbull had to pay for the boys before they could take a seat to be seen. As I mentioned in a previous blog, you will not be seen if you don’t pay up front. No money, no service. I asked Dr. Troy how health insurance works here. He said it covers all the basic vaccines; however, the government wants all children to be vaccinated so you likely will be even without insurance. It is also rare to keep an immunization record. Rescued children rarely know their whether they were vaccinated or not because they were too young to remember.The World Health Organization also really helps out Ghana so that diseases are contained.
It is also rare to have electronic medical records. Anthony and Daniel received a small little laminated notecard with their information on it after Johnbull signed them in. Next time, they must bring the notecard with them so that the secretaries can find their folder. Dr. Troy is worried about them going on to senior high without vaccinations because they will be living in close quarters with other people. I mentioned before they do not get vaccinated after age two. They could very likely lose immunity after so long without the vaccine.
Going to the hospital is a full day event. There are no scheduled appointments so you must get there early and wait. Hospitals have speciality doctors but they are only there 1-2 days a week; you have to catch them at the right time. This seems so frustrating to me. Today, there was only one doctor on call and he took about 30 minutes per patient. There were 8 patients in from of us when we got there. When we were next in line, a man returned and the nurse let him cut to the front. Johnbull said “Hey we have been waiting a long time.” She said that he got here earlier this morning, left for a short while and now returned. This seemed like an unfair system. I learned that staff will often allow the elderly to cut in line.
We arrived at the hospital around 9 and left at 3:30. Dr. Troy said hardest thing for him to get used to since moving here has been how arbitrary time is. There will be a meeting scheduled at noon and people do not show up until 12:30, 1:00, or whenever that can. Last week, It took him 7 hours to get his oil changed. Many things that seem like a simple errand are often full day events.
I picked up on the fact that nurses wear outfits based on their rank/year. A white dress had more respect and experience than a green dress and a belt around their outfit signified even higher rank. Another small observation that I made is that the doctors/nurses/and staff all wear flip flops. This isn’t something I’d see in America for safety and sanitary reasons.
If you have type 1 Diabetes in Ghana you will very likely die because there’s not refrigeration or proper equipment to keep up with it. Have to have insulin. Diet is also very high in carbs which would make managing diabetes all the more difficult. This diet is not something that can be easily changed since high carb foods are most readily available. The cities have a higher rate of success but still unlikely. When people do not know what people die from it makes it hard to track their family’s history. In many cases in the U.S., a family history helps doctors diagnose since there are high rates of heredity with a lot of health issues.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Day 7: Happy Birthday
Today was a low key Friday; however, it was full of much celebration. The birthday tradition in Ghana is that anyone and everyone will pour water on you at any point throughout the day. I was lucky enough to witness three peoples birthdays today. Buckets after buckets of water poured on them when they were least expecting it. And they just have to take it you can’t run away. I couldn’t tell if I would love this or hate this. I mean it would be really fun to get back at people on their birthdays (cough big sis Mol). In addition to that, they have two big birthday celebrations during the year instead of individually celebrating each person’s. This is probably because most people do not know their specific birthdays, normally only their birth month. So tonight we celebrated all of the January-June birthdays. We had a big dinner in the cafeteria with everyone together. I really liked this because we typically split up at dinner time into different families. Another thing is that the gender division is very prominent. The boys and girls always sit separately. I naively tried to sit with a group of boys the other day, not knowingly, and they told me to move. At first I was offended but then understood that this is simply their way of life. It is a very patriarchal society as well. One of the other volunteers here mentioned that she didn’t want to have kids. One of the CORM kids replied, “well what if your husband wants kids?” She said then we will have to talk about it. They sort of laughed at her and explained that whatever the husband says goes.
I felt so full of life at the celebration dinner tonight. Each kid got presents that had been donated and their faces lit up. To continue, we also greatly celebrated the first three CORM kids that went on and graduated senior high this past Tuesday. This is such a huge accomplishment sand shows the progress cycle that CORM has made. Growing up they did not even think about the possibility of an education and now they are going on to the University. Johnbull and Stacy gave them iPhones as a present, they were very emotional. I am so happy for them and this set a great example in front of all of the kids to continue pushing themselves in school.
A few more buckets of water poured and it was time for movie night (every Friday). Last week we watched Greatest Showman. I had watched this about a week prior when I was at home with my mom. I told her it was dumb and not my type of movie. Annnddddd it is now my favorite movie. All of the kids get so into it, singing along and oo-ing and ahh-ing at every new scene. It makes it so much more lively and enjoyable when you’re in that environment. It is like one big movie theater with all of your friends and everyone being themselves. I stole popcorn from easily 7 little kids tonight...WAKANDA FOREVER.
I felt so full of life at the celebration dinner tonight. Each kid got presents that had been donated and their faces lit up. To continue, we also greatly celebrated the first three CORM kids that went on and graduated senior high this past Tuesday. This is such a huge accomplishment sand shows the progress cycle that CORM has made. Growing up they did not even think about the possibility of an education and now they are going on to the University. Johnbull and Stacy gave them iPhones as a present, they were very emotional. I am so happy for them and this set a great example in front of all of the kids to continue pushing themselves in school.
A few more buckets of water poured and it was time for movie night (every Friday). Last week we watched Greatest Showman. I had watched this about a week prior when I was at home with my mom. I told her it was dumb and not my type of movie. Annnddddd it is now my favorite movie. All of the kids get so into it, singing along and oo-ing and ahh-ing at every new scene. It makes it so much more lively and enjoyable when you’re in that environment. It is like one big movie theater with all of your friends and everyone being themselves. I stole popcorn from easily 7 little kids tonight...WAKANDA FOREVER.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Day 6: Hospital Visit
I have never heard kids laugh so much. They really just laugh at everything and make me feel like I’m way funnier than I am. They also take everything like a champ. They are so aggressive when they play and attack one another but no one ever cries or gets upset they just get up and get back out there.
Dr. Troy’s wife, Jaime, is getting her Ghanaian nursing license. She is already a registered nurse in the U.S. but has to go through three months of volunteering in 6 different wards in order to treat patients in Ghana. She said it has been pretty difficult because a lot of what she’s doing a demotion from what she’s used to. She has to keep her opinions to herself a lot. In the U.S., if you come into the hospital and need immediate attention you will be treated right away. In Ghana, you will not be treated unless you pay. This has been especially hard for Jaime because she’s watched people just lay there and die when they can be so easily treated but simply do not have the money upfront.
I wasn’t able to take pictures inside the hospital but if you want to visualize it, each ward is one big room. It’s not like each patient gets their own room, there are just dividers between beds. There is very little privacy. There are very select few rooms for families that are able to privately pay.
Mothers rarely make it to the labor delivery room and will just delivery right in the hallway or open space. They are encouraged to come to hospital for a more healthy and monitored delivery but many do not. One of the most interesting facts I heard today and possibly a reason why people may choose not to deliver in a hospital is that the delivery must be done completely alone with the midwife. No relatives or husbands can be at the bedside. They must wait outside. This could possibly be a rule due to the fact that there’s simply no privacy. Especially in the maternity ward, women will be half naked, in labor, or very exposed in the environment and not want other men in there to see them. Again, it is just one open room with beds and dividers. Dr. Troy jokingly said it might be because the men just don’t want to go through that anyway. In addition to all of that, women do not receive any epidurals or pain medicine. It is a 100% natural birth. I can’t imagine giving birth in general but certainly not under all of these circumstances. The midwives do the entirety of the deliveries. They are excellent at their jobs and earned this hospital a great reputation because there hasn’t been a maternal death in 5 years which is unheard of in Africa. Midwives are the highest level of nursing here, very respected. They are looked at as almost the same level as doctors. And doctors are more looked up to than politicians.
In the ER, patients have to bring their own sheets and blankets. Can you imagine having an emergency at home and having to be like wait let’s find some sheets. Jaime said this is because the patients come and go so fast that it gets too expensive to have to keep cleaning and replenishing the linen supply.
I’ve also been picking up more and more that shaming is a big part of African culture. It is simply their main way of discipline. At CORM, they try to stray away from this given the kids backgrounds. Several teachers have said they wish they were able to physically discipline them because it works more efficiently. In the other schools right down the street kids will be publicly humiliated or caned (hit with a cane) during school.
Along the coastal area where river enters Atlantic, approximately 90% of kids are involved in human trafficking/child labor. There are still thousands of kids along the lake working and being trafficked. The only ways they are sort of “rescued” is when the government does a raid or people seek out adoption in the area. CORM no longer investigates on their own, they choose to take the legal route at this point. They have a lot of children to keep safe so it is better to follow a legal routine and let social workers handle a lot of it. Many of the children do not know where they are from because they were trafficked at such a young age such as 5. They cannot remember where they grew up or their parents names or their own last name which makes it nearly impossible to track down their villages and families. When children come to CORM, no matter how they got their or what they’ve been through, they are welcomed with open arms.
Dr. Troy’s wife, Jaime, is getting her Ghanaian nursing license. She is already a registered nurse in the U.S. but has to go through three months of volunteering in 6 different wards in order to treat patients in Ghana. She said it has been pretty difficult because a lot of what she’s doing a demotion from what she’s used to. She has to keep her opinions to herself a lot. In the U.S., if you come into the hospital and need immediate attention you will be treated right away. In Ghana, you will not be treated unless you pay. This has been especially hard for Jaime because she’s watched people just lay there and die when they can be so easily treated but simply do not have the money upfront.
I wasn’t able to take pictures inside the hospital but if you want to visualize it, each ward is one big room. It’s not like each patient gets their own room, there are just dividers between beds. There is very little privacy. There are very select few rooms for families that are able to privately pay.
Mothers rarely make it to the labor delivery room and will just delivery right in the hallway or open space. They are encouraged to come to hospital for a more healthy and monitored delivery but many do not. One of the most interesting facts I heard today and possibly a reason why people may choose not to deliver in a hospital is that the delivery must be done completely alone with the midwife. No relatives or husbands can be at the bedside. They must wait outside. This could possibly be a rule due to the fact that there’s simply no privacy. Especially in the maternity ward, women will be half naked, in labor, or very exposed in the environment and not want other men in there to see them. Again, it is just one open room with beds and dividers. Dr. Troy jokingly said it might be because the men just don’t want to go through that anyway. In addition to all of that, women do not receive any epidurals or pain medicine. It is a 100% natural birth. I can’t imagine giving birth in general but certainly not under all of these circumstances. The midwives do the entirety of the deliveries. They are excellent at their jobs and earned this hospital a great reputation because there hasn’t been a maternal death in 5 years which is unheard of in Africa. Midwives are the highest level of nursing here, very respected. They are looked at as almost the same level as doctors. And doctors are more looked up to than politicians.
In the ER, patients have to bring their own sheets and blankets. Can you imagine having an emergency at home and having to be like wait let’s find some sheets. Jaime said this is because the patients come and go so fast that it gets too expensive to have to keep cleaning and replenishing the linen supply.
I’ve also been picking up more and more that shaming is a big part of African culture. It is simply their main way of discipline. At CORM, they try to stray away from this given the kids backgrounds. Several teachers have said they wish they were able to physically discipline them because it works more efficiently. In the other schools right down the street kids will be publicly humiliated or caned (hit with a cane) during school.
Along the coastal area where river enters Atlantic, approximately 90% of kids are involved in human trafficking/child labor. There are still thousands of kids along the lake working and being trafficked. The only ways they are sort of “rescued” is when the government does a raid or people seek out adoption in the area. CORM no longer investigates on their own, they choose to take the legal route at this point. They have a lot of children to keep safe so it is better to follow a legal routine and let social workers handle a lot of it. Many of the children do not know where they are from because they were trafficked at such a young age such as 5. They cannot remember where they grew up or their parents names or their own last name which makes it nearly impossible to track down their villages and families. When children come to CORM, no matter how they got their or what they’ve been through, they are welcomed with open arms.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Day 5
Today was another normal school day. On Wednesday’s they have the entire school go to the chapel in the morning for worship. It was super crazy with all of those kids together but you would certainly find this in any American school as well. They’re just kids and get distracted so easily. After this, I sat in on English class with the second graders. They laugh at me when I try to pronounce Ghanaian words.
I’ve definitely been picking up on a lot of little cultural and systematic differences. For the most part, they pronounce everything the same except put different emphasis on certain syllable. They pronounce each letter the same except Z is “Zed.” They speak so clear cut and politely. I’ve been asked so many times to slow down and repeat what I’m saying because I speak too fast. During snack break a second grade boy whipped out a butcher knife to cut the watermelon for everyone. The teacher didn’t even bat an eye. I thought about how much trouble I would have gotten in if I brought a knife to school in second grade. I also (tried to) help out with gym class today. I had to stop and sit down so many times while playing with first graders because my body is not used to this heat by any means. They probably all think I’m so out of shape and they’re right honestly.
The hardest part for me to hear and read about is the sex trafficking that occurs. I read a book titled “The Fisher Boy” that follows one boy, Kwaku, throughout his life. The librarian told me I have to read it while I’m hear because Kwaku’s story is an example of what many of the CORM children have experienced. His father was murdered and his mother died shortly after from Typhoid leaving just Kwaku and his older sister. They were robbed, tricked, and went several days without eating. They had no home. They tried to find work but after many failed attempts and near starvation, his sister gave in to selling her body. One situation that I recently heard about was a slave master impregnating a 14 year old girl and then proceeding to kick her violently in the stomach until the baby died. In the book, a girl named Ivy has to sleep with her master (often drunk) many nights of the week. One time, she tried to refuse and was beaten terribly. Kwaku ends up getting adopted. When he returns to the lake several years later to find a new generation of fisher boys, he also finds out that one of the mean kids that he used to work on the lake with is now a master. Many former slaves will go on to become slave masters which is shocking because you’d think that they wouldn’t want to put others through the misery that they endured.
I found it crazy that several masters do not understand that what they are doing is illegal. They think that if they paid for a child they are then the legal owner. The child must completely obey them. If not, they will be beaten. Some are beaten so badly that they end up dying from the abuse, usually a severe head injury where they die on impact.
On Wednesday nights there is bible study. I sat in on it with the younger kids. The chapter we read was talking about helping the poor. The teacher posed a question to the kids: “Should we help the poor if they are lazy and do not want to help themselves?” I find this question very difficult myself. For starters, when I come across a homeless person in Philadelphia I am always hesitant about giving them money given the drug problem. In Africa, drugs are an unlikely cause of poverty. It is more due to unavailability of work. I thought many of the children would say we should still help, given their situations. However, most of them said that if a person does not want to help themselves than that is their fault and their own problem to deal with. This is an interesting question to debate, especially with younger kids.
My favorite thing that I heard in bible study today is, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”
I’ve definitely been picking up on a lot of little cultural and systematic differences. For the most part, they pronounce everything the same except put different emphasis on certain syllable. They pronounce each letter the same except Z is “Zed.” They speak so clear cut and politely. I’ve been asked so many times to slow down and repeat what I’m saying because I speak too fast. During snack break a second grade boy whipped out a butcher knife to cut the watermelon for everyone. The teacher didn’t even bat an eye. I thought about how much trouble I would have gotten in if I brought a knife to school in second grade. I also (tried to) help out with gym class today. I had to stop and sit down so many times while playing with first graders because my body is not used to this heat by any means. They probably all think I’m so out of shape and they’re right honestly.
The hardest part for me to hear and read about is the sex trafficking that occurs. I read a book titled “The Fisher Boy” that follows one boy, Kwaku, throughout his life. The librarian told me I have to read it while I’m hear because Kwaku’s story is an example of what many of the CORM children have experienced. His father was murdered and his mother died shortly after from Typhoid leaving just Kwaku and his older sister. They were robbed, tricked, and went several days without eating. They had no home. They tried to find work but after many failed attempts and near starvation, his sister gave in to selling her body. One situation that I recently heard about was a slave master impregnating a 14 year old girl and then proceeding to kick her violently in the stomach until the baby died. In the book, a girl named Ivy has to sleep with her master (often drunk) many nights of the week. One time, she tried to refuse and was beaten terribly. Kwaku ends up getting adopted. When he returns to the lake several years later to find a new generation of fisher boys, he also finds out that one of the mean kids that he used to work on the lake with is now a master. Many former slaves will go on to become slave masters which is shocking because you’d think that they wouldn’t want to put others through the misery that they endured.
I found it crazy that several masters do not understand that what they are doing is illegal. They think that if they paid for a child they are then the legal owner. The child must completely obey them. If not, they will be beaten. Some are beaten so badly that they end up dying from the abuse, usually a severe head injury where they die on impact.
On Wednesday nights there is bible study. I sat in on it with the younger kids. The chapter we read was talking about helping the poor. The teacher posed a question to the kids: “Should we help the poor if they are lazy and do not want to help themselves?” I find this question very difficult myself. For starters, when I come across a homeless person in Philadelphia I am always hesitant about giving them money given the drug problem. In Africa, drugs are an unlikely cause of poverty. It is more due to unavailability of work. I thought many of the children would say we should still help, given their situations. However, most of them said that if a person does not want to help themselves than that is their fault and their own problem to deal with. This is an interesting question to debate, especially with younger kids.
My favorite thing that I heard in bible study today is, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”
Day 4
Faith Roots International Academy has one class for each grade up until Junior high but also has a resource class. This class is for kids coming in that do not necessarily meet the standards that their typical grade level would require of them. This is normally because they may have spent a longer time at the lake and thus missed out on more years of education. The resource class helps to slowly integrate them with the grade level that they should be at instead of throwing them into a class where they will fall more and more behind.
We did some more health screenings at the school today with Dr. Troy. We took the heights and weights of children. As Dr. Troy continues to do this every few months or so he will be able to track their development. Without the scale it is easy to see that each kid is underweight. We also did eye exams testing their left, right, and bilateral vision. It was difficult for most of the kindergarten students to focus. We cut most of their exams short because they couldn’t stand still. So far I’ve only seen one girl my entire time here that wears glasses. From the eye exams today I think many more kids could benefit from them.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Day 3: Back to School
One of the major issues in Ghana is that there is not much motivation for parents to send their children to school. People, who live in the villages especially, are not worried about learning, they’re worried about what they will eat for dinner. Sending a child to school means one less set of hands to work in the fields and thus, less income.
Faith Roots International Academy (FRIA) is the school here at CORM. All of the CORM kids go as well as several kids from around the community. It is the third most prestigious school in the greater Accra region. They used to use an American school system but then had a lot of problems when the students had to take the Ghanaian tests. The Ghanaian tests follow a Ghanaian teaching style so FRIA switched their curriculum. This has worked out better since pretty much all of them will continue with higher education in Ghana. The older kids go to school from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. The school day used to be from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M.; however, students didn’t perform well on their tests last year so their school days were extended for extra studying.
After spending some time at the school, I walked over to Doctor Troy’s house to assist him. The doctor’s office/clinic is currently held out of Troy’s house in a spare bedroom while the clinic is being built. One of the tasks orchestrated by the clinic is to monitor the kids weights and heights to ensure they’re growing steadily. Today I entered several of the kids' statistics into the computer to try and move towards a paperless database. Every child that I entered was underweight. Later this week we’ll be doing more health screenings to get more statistics on each child.
One issue that goes hand in hand with malnutrition is sickle cell anemia. This is when the blood cells are crescent shape and thus get clotted a lot easier. These blood clots will often lead to a stroke which is what happened with one younger girl here when she was three. Because of the stroke, she walks on the left side of her left foot. Her leg sort of bends out sideways because of this. She has gotten so accustomed to walking like this. Doctor Troy and I are planning to start physical therapy with her so that eventually she can be walking on the bottom of her foot.
I asked doctor Troy how prevalent HIV is here in Ghana. He said it’s definitely an issue and hard to get under control. HIV prescriptions are not sold in pharmacies because if they were, then any HIV positive person could buy them. If they buy them on their own then they may not take their medication correctly. If not taken correctly, their body will build up a resistance. Then, HIV will continue to spread because it will recognize this medicine next time they take it (with the resistance) and fight it off. Eventually, treatable HIV medicines will run out. However, people who are HIV positive are not getting their medicine because it is not available by prescription and they don’t want to go to clinics regularly. Thus, the problem is hard to control.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Day 2: Happy Mother's Day!
Sundays truly are the Lord’s day, especially in Africa. Last time I visited Ghana in the Fall, the highlight of my trip was visiting a church named Lighthouse Church. This service was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and especially different from the traditional, Catholic mass that I am used to. I was excited to go again today, even if that meant breakfast ended an hour earlier. Church is a part of CORM’s village so it’s just a couple buildings down from me. All of CORM is within walking distance from each other: the homes, the cafeteria, the school, the church, etc. So everyone that was at church was all the people who live in CORM and some outside community members, everyone knew everyone.
Today’s service started at 9 but time doesn’t mean much in Africa. They have a saying “TIA” which means “This is Africa.” You get there when you get there. That being said, the first hour or so of church consisted of everyone casually strolling in and dancing. And I don’t mean the standing in place swaying your hips dancing, I mean like DANCING. No one was “too cool” to dance. It was so energetic and lively in that church. It didn’t even matter what you were doing, no one looks silly when they’re having fun.
Although I missed my own mom today (shout out Kerry), it was so special to be able to experience Mother's Day in a place that emphasizes the empowerment of women so much. All of the songs were in some way about mothers or women. Pastor Johnbull asked all the ladies to sit on one side. Before he started his homily everyone got up and gave us all hugs and said Happy Mother’s Day until everyone was hugged by every person. Pastor John called up each of the mothers separately, described how special and unique each one of them is, and gave them a personal gift. I thought this was such a personal way to honor each mom. Mothers truly do so much for their children. I have so much respect for them everywhere but especially here. They were put in difficult situations in life but fought through it and are creating futures for themselves and their kids. CORM plays a major role in making the dreams and goals of these families become realities. It was very sweet to witness 50+ kids run up and group hug/tackle Stacy at the end of mass. Many of them do not know who their moms are or never saw them again after going to work at the lake at a young age. Stacy is a mom to everyone. She takes everyone in with warm and welcoming arms no matter what.
Today’s service started at 9 but time doesn’t mean much in Africa. They have a saying “TIA” which means “This is Africa.” You get there when you get there. That being said, the first hour or so of church consisted of everyone casually strolling in and dancing. And I don’t mean the standing in place swaying your hips dancing, I mean like DANCING. No one was “too cool” to dance. It was so energetic and lively in that church. It didn’t even matter what you were doing, no one looks silly when they’re having fun.
Although I missed my own mom today (shout out Kerry), it was so special to be able to experience Mother's Day in a place that emphasizes the empowerment of women so much. All of the songs were in some way about mothers or women. Pastor Johnbull asked all the ladies to sit on one side. Before he started his homily everyone got up and gave us all hugs and said Happy Mother’s Day until everyone was hugged by every person. Pastor John called up each of the mothers separately, described how special and unique each one of them is, and gave them a personal gift. I thought this was such a personal way to honor each mom. Mothers truly do so much for their children. I have so much respect for them everywhere but especially here. They were put in difficult situations in life but fought through it and are creating futures for themselves and their kids. CORM plays a major role in making the dreams and goals of these families become realities. It was very sweet to witness 50+ kids run up and group hug/tackle Stacy at the end of mass. Many of them do not know who their moms are or never saw them again after going to work at the lake at a young age. Stacy is a mom to everyone. She takes everyone in with warm and welcoming arms no matter what.
Day 1: Akwaaba!
Johnbull and Stacy Omorefe, the founders of CORM, picked me up from the airport last night. I immediately felt a sense of belonging. I got to know them a little better in the van ride back to CORM. Johnbull is from Nigeria and Stacy is from South Dakota. I asked them how many kids they had to which they responded “3 biological, 4 adopted, and about 70 more..”
Johnbull and Stacy started CORM after seeing an article in the New York Times about Human Trafficking along Lake Volta, a major lake in Ghana. They had met one another in Ghana while on a separate mission trip. Upon seeing this article, they knew that returning to Ghana was God’s plan for their lives. And so in 2006, City it Refuge Ministries Children Village began and has been building ever since.
There are three parts to Human Trafficking: prevention, intervention, and restoration.
Prevention
With all major issues, epidemics, outbreaks, or whatever the case may be, the key is to stop it at its roots. With human trafficking, single moms are where it begins. They often lack the necessary skills and income to adequately provide for multiple children and thus feel the need to turn to other options.
In the 1960s, Lake Volta was built and created business opportunities for fishermen. This Lake had an abundance of expensive fish to sell and profit from, fishermen just had to ensure that they caught the fish. They would take kids for years at a time to work on the lake and this continues today. Some times, but rarely, these kids are returned to their mothers later on as often promised.
One promise that is never fulfilled is that these children are supposedly receiving an education while at the lake. Slave masters lead them to believe this so that mothers will be more willing to let their child or children go. The most essential part of prevention is education. Parents need to be made aware of what goes on at the Lake. Kids work 12 hours a day with one meal. They are constantly getting seriously injured from unsafe working conditions. One boy bent over to reach into the water for a net and a stick was poking out and poked him in the eye. He was rushed to the hospital and needed immediate surgery. In addition to all of the injuries, there is a parasite in the water that aggressively attacks organs. This can cause the children to urinate blood. Skin and heart diseases have also originated from the lake’s water.
Intervention
In 2000, an Anti-trafficking law was passed: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act. This act officially prohibited all forced labor, involuntary servitude, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Following this act, it was a much more legalized process to rescue children from the lake. Many fishermen did not realize what they were doing was illegal. However, human trafficking still continues today. The government will do raids on the lake and rescue hundreds of children at a time.
Restoration
This is where City of Refuge Ministries comes in. They foster, feed, and educate kids that were trafficked. There are currently around 70 children that live here in Children’s Village. They started a school that meets the individual needs of each child. Many of them will begin their education for the first time at a much later age like 13 since they spent their previous years old the lake. CORM helps them meet the education level that they are supposed to be at, and boy are they eager to learn. This year, CORM will have their 4th graduating class. Then they head off to high school. Also this year, CORM will have previous rescued children/students, graduating from high school for the first time since CORM began. There is no doubt that this will be the case each year from here on out.
In addition to children, mothers are also fostered as I explained in a previous post. CORM teaches moms sewing, literacy, cooking, and basic skills all while their children are attending school. After a couple years, the moms will graduate from this sponsorship program with proper skills, a sewing machine, a little money, and thus a business to sustain themselves and their children with.
There are 50 staff members at CORM, 20 of which are teachers. They keep their class sizes below 22 students so that it is more personal and interactive. In addition to counseling services, each staff member is trained to be cautious and caring of the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that many of the children come to CORM with.
I heard some personal accounts of children today. All of the following names are fictitious for confidentiality reasons. I asked Johnbull if it was okay to share these stories on my blog and he encouraged me to talk about them and spread the word about the horrors and dangers behind human trafficking.
Daniel spent five years at the lake, I am unsure what age he first started. His daily job was to remove water from the boat. He said several children would die (“their story had a different ending”) because they didn’t know how to swim. He, and several others, said one of the most challenging tasks was removing the net (of fish) from the water. The water would often be too rough or deep and children could not handle it. Daniel, 6 foot Daniel, is now being recruited to play basketball in high school.
Alexa escaped from her master 3 times. One time; however, her slave master caught her and her bestfriend. He eventually stabbed her bestfriend and Alexa finds it very hard to move on because the escape was her idea and got her bestfriend killed.
Ryan was 8 years old when he began work on the lake (some start as early as age 3). He said he was terrified every time he was forced to retrieve the net. It was too challenging and dangerous of a job for any kid. He was rescued by CORM and began his education at age 13. He said that when he was on the lake he had no dream or idea of a future. Now, he says “when I’m grown I want to be a pastor. It is what God has planned for me and I want to do it.” Ryan will graduate high school on Tuesday and go on to the University.
Madaasi (thank you) for reading! If you have any questions that you want me to ask Johnbull or Stacy I know that they will be more than happy to answer. For example, I asked where the funding for all of this came from. Their answer? God.
Johnbull and Stacy started CORM after seeing an article in the New York Times about Human Trafficking along Lake Volta, a major lake in Ghana. They had met one another in Ghana while on a separate mission trip. Upon seeing this article, they knew that returning to Ghana was God’s plan for their lives. And so in 2006, City it Refuge Ministries Children Village began and has been building ever since.
There are three parts to Human Trafficking: prevention, intervention, and restoration.
Prevention
With all major issues, epidemics, outbreaks, or whatever the case may be, the key is to stop it at its roots. With human trafficking, single moms are where it begins. They often lack the necessary skills and income to adequately provide for multiple children and thus feel the need to turn to other options.
In the 1960s, Lake Volta was built and created business opportunities for fishermen. This Lake had an abundance of expensive fish to sell and profit from, fishermen just had to ensure that they caught the fish. They would take kids for years at a time to work on the lake and this continues today. Some times, but rarely, these kids are returned to their mothers later on as often promised.
One promise that is never fulfilled is that these children are supposedly receiving an education while at the lake. Slave masters lead them to believe this so that mothers will be more willing to let their child or children go. The most essential part of prevention is education. Parents need to be made aware of what goes on at the Lake. Kids work 12 hours a day with one meal. They are constantly getting seriously injured from unsafe working conditions. One boy bent over to reach into the water for a net and a stick was poking out and poked him in the eye. He was rushed to the hospital and needed immediate surgery. In addition to all of the injuries, there is a parasite in the water that aggressively attacks organs. This can cause the children to urinate blood. Skin and heart diseases have also originated from the lake’s water.
Intervention
In 2000, an Anti-trafficking law was passed: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act. This act officially prohibited all forced labor, involuntary servitude, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Following this act, it was a much more legalized process to rescue children from the lake. Many fishermen did not realize what they were doing was illegal. However, human trafficking still continues today. The government will do raids on the lake and rescue hundreds of children at a time.
Restoration
This is where City of Refuge Ministries comes in. They foster, feed, and educate kids that were trafficked. There are currently around 70 children that live here in Children’s Village. They started a school that meets the individual needs of each child. Many of them will begin their education for the first time at a much later age like 13 since they spent their previous years old the lake. CORM helps them meet the education level that they are supposed to be at, and boy are they eager to learn. This year, CORM will have their 4th graduating class. Then they head off to high school. Also this year, CORM will have previous rescued children/students, graduating from high school for the first time since CORM began. There is no doubt that this will be the case each year from here on out.
In addition to children, mothers are also fostered as I explained in a previous post. CORM teaches moms sewing, literacy, cooking, and basic skills all while their children are attending school. After a couple years, the moms will graduate from this sponsorship program with proper skills, a sewing machine, a little money, and thus a business to sustain themselves and their children with.
There are 50 staff members at CORM, 20 of which are teachers. They keep their class sizes below 22 students so that it is more personal and interactive. In addition to counseling services, each staff member is trained to be cautious and caring of the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse that many of the children come to CORM with.
I heard some personal accounts of children today. All of the following names are fictitious for confidentiality reasons. I asked Johnbull if it was okay to share these stories on my blog and he encouraged me to talk about them and spread the word about the horrors and dangers behind human trafficking.
Daniel spent five years at the lake, I am unsure what age he first started. His daily job was to remove water from the boat. He said several children would die (“their story had a different ending”) because they didn’t know how to swim. He, and several others, said one of the most challenging tasks was removing the net (of fish) from the water. The water would often be too rough or deep and children could not handle it. Daniel, 6 foot Daniel, is now being recruited to play basketball in high school.
Alexa escaped from her master 3 times. One time; however, her slave master caught her and her bestfriend. He eventually stabbed her bestfriend and Alexa finds it very hard to move on because the escape was her idea and got her bestfriend killed.
Ryan was 8 years old when he began work on the lake (some start as early as age 3). He said he was terrified every time he was forced to retrieve the net. It was too challenging and dangerous of a job for any kid. He was rescued by CORM and began his education at age 13. He said that when he was on the lake he had no dream or idea of a future. Now, he says “when I’m grown I want to be a pastor. It is what God has planned for me and I want to do it.” Ryan will graduate high school on Tuesday and go on to the University.
Madaasi (thank you) for reading! If you have any questions that you want me to ask Johnbull or Stacy I know that they will be more than happy to answer. For example, I asked where the funding for all of this came from. Their answer? God.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
My Research
My Research will focus on the injustices perpetrated on individuals in Africa. CORM will expose me to personal encounters of human trafficking. I strongly believe we have a responsibility to expand our global awareness of these social justice issues, particularly in poverty-stricken areas, and be inspired to think more broadly, an ideal that Saint Joseph's University's Jesuit mission encourages its students to explore.
As a Summer Scholar, I plan to share my experience with the SJU community. I intend to update this online blog daily, documenting what I see, think, learn, and feel each day. I also plan to create a comprehensive video documentation with music and my own voice-overs about the people, stories, and life-long lessons I acquire along the way. I plan to interview members of the CORM staff on their perspectives regarding human trafficking and the effects they observe on the site. I will enrich my knowledge of this devastating issue and will interact first-hand with children who are victims of human trafficking. I hope to gain a better understanding of how this violation of human rights occurs in the first place, how to prevent it, and how to stop it. I am devoted to helping them improve and grow so that more and more children can be saved from human trafficking. Professor McNally will help steer me in the right direction with editing my film and making sure it holistically encompasses my time in Ghana.
I hope this online blog will highlight the injustices in Ghana, specifically human trafficking, as well as show others the impact of interacting with cultures and societies around the world. I hope that they can see the benefits that can result when doing so. After all, that's the magis.
Pope Francis said in his Address to the United Nations: "Today, in concrete terms, an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God's providence has placed in our hands, material goods but also intellectual and spiritual ones, and to give back generously and lavishly whatever we may have earlier unjustly refused to others."
As a Summer Scholar, I plan to share my experience with the SJU community. I intend to update this online blog daily, documenting what I see, think, learn, and feel each day. I also plan to create a comprehensive video documentation with music and my own voice-overs about the people, stories, and life-long lessons I acquire along the way. I plan to interview members of the CORM staff on their perspectives regarding human trafficking and the effects they observe on the site. I will enrich my knowledge of this devastating issue and will interact first-hand with children who are victims of human trafficking. I hope to gain a better understanding of how this violation of human rights occurs in the first place, how to prevent it, and how to stop it. I am devoted to helping them improve and grow so that more and more children can be saved from human trafficking. Professor McNally will help steer me in the right direction with editing my film and making sure it holistically encompasses my time in Ghana.
I hope this online blog will highlight the injustices in Ghana, specifically human trafficking, as well as show others the impact of interacting with cultures and societies around the world. I hope that they can see the benefits that can result when doing so. After all, that's the magis.
Pope Francis said in his Address to the United Nations: "Today, in concrete terms, an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God's providence has placed in our hands, material goods but also intellectual and spiritual ones, and to give back generously and lavishly whatever we may have earlier unjustly refused to others."
What is City of Refuge Ministries?
Under the mentorship of Professor McNally, I will be returning to Ghana, Africa on May 11th to volunteer with City of Refuge Ministries, CORM. I visited Ghana while traveling with Semester at Sea in the Fall of 2017, which is how I heard about CORM. Its mission is as follows:
“City of Refuge Ministries exists to provide holistic restoration for children who have been liberated from exploitation, abuse, or trafficking. We aim to prevent exploitation at its roots by empowering individuals and communities to eradicate child slavery and achieve personal and community goals.”
The team at CORM is passionate about rescuing children from slavery and providing them with a safe and fulfilling childhood contrary to what they may be used to, whether it be working on fishing boats, helping provide for their family, or doing chores. In addition, CORM empowers the children’s mothers to not sell their children, often a seemingly viable option.
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