In March I traveled to Ghana to photo document child trafficking in Kete-Krachi. In Ghana some parents sell their children to fishermen for a price of $200 a year. The children are then kept by their "Masta" to work 18+ hour days on Lake Volta, eating a single meal each day and sleeping on dirt with beatings in between. The children are as young as five and as old as 18 years, if they live that long. There are several NPO's at work in this region of Ghana that help rescue the children and also provide an orphanage/ rescue facility, 3 square meals a day, schooling, and more. I was there working with Freedom Stones and Touch A Life — both NPO's that is helping newly rescued teenagers earn wages and provide savings for when they leave the orphanage/ rescue home. Many of the teens have dreams of becoming seamstresses and soap makers, among other trades. I feel so privileged to have witnessed the kids passions and heart first hand, and to have truly made a difference in their lives. If there was one word to describe the children at the orphanage, it would be HOPE. These kids have a spirit that taught me our past doesn't define us — our future does.
