Compassionate Journeys ending child slavery in Ghana through educational, medical and economic opportunities Selena Larson, Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
Compassionate Journeys
ending child slavery in Ghana through educational, medical and economic opportunities
Selena Larson,Arizona State UniversityWalter Cronkite School of Journalism
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world.”- Anne Frank
Compassionate Journeys
• Non-profit organization working in Ghana– Christ Outreach Orphanage– HIV Clinics– Leper Villages– Maternity clinics– Clean water– Educational opportunities
Child Slavery
• Almost 40 percent of children ages 4-14 are slaves in rural Ghana
• Children are bought and sold for $20 so their families can survive
• Children become “apprentices,” to fishermen and farmers
“The level of poverty here is amazing, but the children still smile.”
The need for education
• Few children attend school regularly– Parents cannot afford the uniforms, supplies,
and stipends required to be enrolled– Most girls do not attend school
• There is 1 teacher for 150 students
• Because many children do not attend school, they are forced into trafficking
• Without school and an education, they end up begging on the streets
Economic Development
• Compassionate Journeys will be working with the University of Ghana to establish economic development opportunities for the villages.
• Fishing is the biggest source of income, and hundreds of children are slaves on the lake.
Basic healthcare
• In July, we are bringing 12 volunteers from the Show Low Fire Department to teach basic care.
• There is no doctor in the villages.
What can we do?
• Compassionate Journeys’ child sponsorship program– $10/month directly to the family– Requirement for children to be in school
• Stop slavery, start an education
This woman has gangrene after clipping her toenails. She will probably not survive.
The documentary
• We will travel to Bakpakope, in the northern part of Lake Volta, just across Kete Krachi in the Brong Ahafo Region
• We want to document the horrors of trafficking, and the difference an education can make in the life of a child
Interviews• Children who were former slaves• Former owners of child slaves• People making a difference through education
and sustainable programs.
Budget• $2900.00– $1900.00 airfare to Ghana– $700.00 camera equipment– $300.00 for the families who
share their homes with us
Compassionate Journeys,improving life in Rural Ghana,
one child at a time.