The newly released reports on Nigeria and Ghana offer an in-depth examination of how forced labor and child labor continue to underpin cocoa production in these countries. Despite being among the top cocoa producers globally, Nigeria and Ghana have long struggled with the dark side of this industry.
Twenty victims of human trafficking finally got to taste freedom in the remote regions of Ghana. Free the Slaves, and our partners in Ghana removed them from modern slavery in the districts of Pru East, Sene East, Krachi West, and East Gonja, located in the country’s...
Aspiring for a better livelihood, migrants from Cote d’Ivoire frequently cross the border to Ghana in search of greener and more fertile lands. Due to financial hardship, they were deceived into taking jobs without reviewing their authenticity and even gave out their...
It takes organization to free a village from modern slavery. In Ghana, that organization has a long name with a short acronym: a Community Child Protection Committee, or CCPC. Helping villagers form these committees is a fundamental element of our community-based...
Poverty and the absence of legitimate sources of credit are two of the key conditions that allow modern slavery to exist. People without resources are vulnerable to offers of cash, food or livestock if they send a child away with a trafficker. People without credit...
The Village of Life shelter is exactly what modern slavery survivors need. It’s a vibrant and supportive place – far from the hardships and exploitation that children experience when enslaved in remote fishing villages along Lake Volta in Ghana. My visit to this...
The village school in Kobiri Nsuoano is a beacon of hope. It’s a simple building down a bumpy narrow road. But what happens inside is revolutionary. Children are learning about their rights as part of a Free the Slaves program to prevent them from being trafficked...
America botched the abolition of slavery in the 1860s, a mistake that has consequences for descendants of enslaved African Americans even today. Slavery was outlawed, but millions of liberated slaves weren’t allowed to build prosperous lives in freedom. This is why...
This has been a challenging year, but we know that 2021 holds the promise of renewal. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made racial inequality and modern slavery worse, the recovery will provide an opportunity for a global reset. We do not need to repeat the inequities...
I have hope as we approach the year-end holidays, and I hope that you do, too. With the many challenges we face in promoting equality and universal freedom in the world today, what brings me hope is the optimism I hear from slavery survivors and their families around...
It’s Human Rights Day, when the world commemorates the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the right to be free from slavery. Human rights are supposed to apply to everyone, everywhere, without regard to sex or race or age. But in Ghana, three...
The second National Symposium on Human Trafficking , organized by Free the Slaves, successfully created an avenue for dialogue among stakeholders from media, civil society, government agencies, and community members on the nature and scope of child trafficking. It...
Did you know that 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children? At 7 years old, Kwezi left his childhood home with expectations of a better life and more opportunities. But that was far from his reality. Instead, he was tricked by traffickers and was forced to work...
One of the most significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is the effect that lockdowns and other health safety measures are having on the economy. That’s especially true in rural villages in Ghana. Several national and international organizations here have closed...
The first-ever Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership to end child trafficking is wrapping up its fifth year in Ghana, and officials say it has been a terrific success that other countries should follow. That assessment comes this week by officials from the...
June 12 is World Day Against Child Labor, a time to reflect on the fact that millions of children toil in harmful and hazardous jobs. Many are forced to work by their families or by traffickers. Many are beaten and whipped into submission. That is what happened to...
Your generosity has changed lives around the world. The programs you support at Free the Slaves help people learn new skills and start microenterprises that build financial resiliency. Your contributions mean that slavery survivors are less likely to be re-enslaved,...
I hope that you and your family are healthy and safe during these difficult times. I am reaching out to you today to share about how the Covid-19 global pandemic is affecting communities where slavery makes people especially vulnerable to disasters and financial...
Dear Friends and Supporters, I write this letter as I shelter in place amidst the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. The close tethering to our homes underscores the importance of communities even in today’s hyperconnected world. Likewise, eliminating slavery...
The countries where Free the Slaves works (Ghana, India, Haiti, Nepal and Dominican Republic) have not reached peak level in the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is affecting them all, directly or indirectly. And we know from experience that every crisis has an aftermath....
Journalists have an important role to play in the effort to address child trafficking in Ghana. They can spread awareness with government officials and the general public that children are forced to work in hazardous conditions. They can explain the difference between...
The year 2020 brings several important anniversaries. It’s the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Palermo Protocol, the landmark treaty to confront modern forms of slavery worldwide. It’s the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the...
Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt once observed that “the future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.” At Free the Slaves, we dream of a future where everyone is free from slavery. Roosevelt believed in that dream too. Freedom from slavery is near the top...
Every child has the right to grow up in a safe environment that provides opportunities for a decent future. It’s a fundamental value, self-determination. Unfortunately, thousands of children in Ghana are denied this basic principle of fairness. Instead, they are...
Free the Slaves is thrilled to announce that a courageous advocate for the rights of women and children has joined the organization as executive director. Bukeni Tete Waruzi has helped put a Congolese warlord behind bars, has helped women trafficked into domestic...
Emmanuel endured years beneath the blistering sky of Ghana’s Lake Volta. As a child fishing slave, he faced the bare elements in a shoddy open boat. Sharp nets left deep cuts in his fingers. The blurry water left him fearful that he might not survive when forced to...
On this World Day Against Trafficking In Persons, you might be wondering if there's anything you can do to end modern slavery. Turns out, as a Free the Slaves supporter you're already doing a lot! The Free the Slaves rescue boat in Ghana liberates 15 children from...
When we visit villages that are targeted by traffickers, we see that modern slavery is, at its core, an economic crime. That's why we were thrilled to hear from an inspiring grandmother named Stella Abrokwah in Arkrah, Ghana. She explained how our Village Savings and...
It costs $180 to send our new rescue boat onto Lake Volta to liberate 15 children from fishing slavery in Ghana. If you donate $180 (just $15 a month), we can send the boat twice. A generous foundation will match your contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000...
As chair of the Free the Slaves board of directors, I want to personally let you know that a generous foundation this summer is increasing its support of our work. They’ll match dollar-for-dollar your summertime contributions, up to $100,000. It’s a unique opportunity...
The work wasn’t bad. It was so much worse. Fourteen-hour shifts. One meal a day. No education, no reprieve, no escape. Godwin, Ebenezer and Bright Anyimornu endured these conditions for eight years when their mother couldn’t afford to take care of them and her husband...
Editor's Note: This dispatch from the field originally appeared on the University of British Columbia's Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) program website in December. Free the Slaves thanks the university team's remarkable effort to help us improve...
Owning livestock can transform a family’s future in rural Ghana. An impoverished farmer can sell the cow’s milk, and use its dung for fertilizer and biofuel. Of course, it’s never right to sell your son to get a cow. But that’s what Felix Kaletsi’s father did. A...
When they first arrived at the rescue shelter, you could see in their eyes that these children had endured the unimaginable. “We were tied with ropes and beaten, with no food for the day,” they said. “We slept on the bare floor with no blankets.” For these three kids,...
The first day of Hanukkah this year coincides with an important date in the anti-slavery calendar. December 2nd is the United Nations International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. That is why we are especially happy this year to spotlight a confluence of observance...
Last week brought high praise for our program to combat child trafficking in Ghana. It came directly from the village chief of Lolonya in the Greater Accra Region. He said our “Growing Up Free” project “has been a blessing for this community and for the children.” The...
Field testing is underway for our latest training initiative. A Free the Slaves team this month debuted our new handbook on the liberation, rehabilitation and reintegration of people who’ve been trapped in modern slavery. The first five-day beta test workshop was...
First came the sickness. Nobody knew what it was. Not the numerous herbalists nor any of the doctors could help Rosemary Gilkpo and her six children find a cure for their ailing husband, father and sole breadwinner, Simon Tetteh Dzeagu. Then the money ran out to pay...
The U.S. State Department says many African governments are doing a better job combating modern slavery. More than a dozen African nations received upgrades in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP). The upgrades include Ghana, where Free the Slaves has helped...
A new research report has uncovered cases of child trafficking and exploitation in six districts of Ghana. Field teams documented more than 500 instances of child trafficking in 20 communities surveyed in 2016, and 107 households with cases of child trafficking in 14...
I am in Ghana this week with news to share that just can’t wait, so I’m writing directly from the field. The work you support has transformed villages where child trafficking used to be common. I’ve just seen it firsthand. It takes time to reach Dzilakope, a remote...
Every day, the staff of Free the Slaves works in solidarity with local partners and communities to help bring about a more just world. We do so in Haiti, in several countries in Africa, and in Asia. Every day, our staff manifests tremendous dedication and skill. Every...
For the first six years of his life, David enjoyed a happy and supportive upbringing in a village in Ghana. But then, his father fell ill and died – and David’s life was upended. Unable to support seven children, David's mother sent him to labor on dangerous fishing...
Anti-slavery work demands constant evaluation. That’s why FTS works diligently to improve anti-slavery activities by our grassroots partners through baseline research to examine, contextualize and adapt our program strategies to best suit the needs of individual...
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report illustrates “the commitment of our country that we have this joint effort underway across the entire United States government” to combat modern slavery. “Human trafficking is as old as...
FTS is proud to present a special series profiling Ghanaian children who survived fishing slavery on Lake Volta. FTS volunteer Emily Teague traveled to Ghana to photograph them. These young victims were forced to work day and night on dangerous, deadly fishing boats....
A new special FTS series profiles children who have survived slavery on Ghana's Lake Volta. They were forced to work day and night on dangerous, deadly fishing boats. They were abused, held under threat of violence, unable to walk away. Many children enslaved on the...
Researchers have discovered significant levels of child trafficking and slavery-like conditions in 20 communities in Ghana’s Volta and Central regions. More than one-third of households studied are affected. Teams conducted 80 focus groups, 40 interviews, 20 social...
By William Greenbaum and Maurice Middleberg Sylvester and Emmanuel were side-by-side as members of the Community Child Protection Committee (CCPC), sitting on plastic chairs and gathered under a tarp to ward off the sun. The CCPC had assembled to talk about efforts to...
Ghana is partnering with the U.S. government and civil society organizations to eradicate child trafficking here, a country where modern-day slavery is rampant. Political officials, NGOs and community leaders gathered in Accra last week for the first-ever anti-human...