Still from the documentary "Slaves of the Lake" chronicling the rehabilitation of two former child slaves in Ghana.
2008 Freedom Award winner James Kofi Annan is a survivor of childhood slavery. He was enslaved in Ghana’s fishing industry, forced to work in hazardous conditions on Lake Volta, beaten and subdued, given little to no compensation.
See video of James Kofi Annan rescuing a child from slavery in Ghana.
Annan was able to escape. He went to school and embarked on a successful business career. But he was compelled to go back to Lake Volta to face the trauma of his past. He now dedicates his life to rescuing other child slaves. By doing so, he says, he is “correcting the injustice” that was done to him. Annan started Challenging Heights to rehabilitate rescued child slaves by offering counseling, support, and education. For Annan, access to education was the key to his emancipation. He wants to pass this on to the children he rescues. By going to school, these children have a chance to “recover from trauma and regain hope for the future.”
Keep up to date with Challenging Heights: follow their blog here!
The video above is a short documentary, “Slaves of the Lake,” produced by British cable network Community Channel. It follows two former fishing slaves rescued by Challenging Heights, and chronicles the boys struggles as they try to re-integrate into lives of freedom. Often, the real challenges of emancipation happen after an enslaved person is rescued. The road to recovery can be a long and treacherous one. True and lasting freedom comes from holistic, community-based solutions—as the documentary above illustrates.
Go here to learn more about Free the Slaves‘ guiding principals.
Your donations help us continue our work. Go here to learn how you can help Free the Slaves eradicate slavery in our lifetime!
