Sisters battle against ‘modern-day slavery’

Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary are spearheading a sensitization programme against human trafficking in schools in the Kwahu Afram Plains, in Eastern Ghana. “We educate them about some of the tricks the perpetrators use to get their targets”, said Sr Joy Abuh, representative of Talitha Kum Network for Ghana.

An ongoing sensitization Programme against human trafficking has been organised by Talitha Kum Network, Donkorkrom for schools within the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, West Africa.

The course of the sensitization in the Afram Plains is being championed by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, an international Congregation of Women Religious. The sisters’ mission is reaching out to people in every kind of need, especially the poor, oppressed and exploited. The course is spearheaded by Talitha Kum representative, Sr Joy Abuh.

Sr Joy visiting the schools in Ghana

Sr Joy is a Nigerian-born missionary, she works as the School Chaplain and teacher in Donkorkrom Agricultural Senior High School. From early 2024, she has visited and continues to visit several schools in the villages for the sensitization. Some of the schools where the campaign has recently been carried out include: St Michael’s Junior High School, Donkorkrom, Atakora Basic School, Donkorkrom, St Mary’s Vocational/Technical Senior High School, Adeemra, and Donkorkrom Agricultural Senior High School.

The purpose of the campaigns is to sensitize the students on the disturbing prevalence of various forms of human trafficking in the communities. “We educate them about some of the tricks the perpetrators use to get their targets, such as giving them the false belief that they will get jobs out in the cities and save enough money to take care of their families back home”, said Sr Joy.

She further underlined some of the dangers involved in being trafficked, ranging from victims being subjected to prostitution, hawking, permanent house maids, or what one could term ‘modern-day slavery’, with no opportunity to go to school, against their wishes, which the team brought to the awareness of the students in the schools visited. “We advised them to be vigilant and also be their brother’s keeper by reporting suspected incidents of human trafficking, child labour/marriage and other forms of abuse to the designated authority for protection”, she further remarked.

Talitha Kum Ghana Network

Sr Joy shared the hope and prayer of the consecrated persons that someday, human trafficking will come to an end, not only in Ghana, but in all parts of the world where it is being practiced.

Talitha Kum Ghana Network is a non-governmental organization that came to existence in March 2018. It involves consecrated men and women, including some lay people. The consecrated persons in Ghana, under the auspices of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious ( cmsr-Gh ), work together to create an organizational model of collaboration to fight against human trafficking and exploitation which exists at different levels, through advocacy and sensitization programmes in schools and communities, creating awareness on the risk of leaving the villages in search of ‘greener pasture’ in the cities.

The Talitha Kum Network in the bigger cities such as Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region is more engaging, as Religious deal directly with victims, unlike in the rural areas like Donkorkrom, where mostly sensitization is being carried out, and victims could be referred to the urban areas for follow-up.

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By Sr Sylvie Lum Cho, mshr