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.
