Ghana
(MNN) — Every Child Ministries is now offering a DVD that can help people
understand the problem of modern day slavery in idol shrines.
The DVD, produced by Great Commission Resources, shows
scenes from actual liberation ceremonies of slaves called trokosi in Ghana, West Africa.
Under this slavery
system, young girls are sent to shrines to atone for crimes allegedly committed
by members of their families. While
outlawed in Ghana
in 1998, the practice continues in many
rural areas. Violation of the law
carries a substantial penalty: three years minimum in prison, but the
law is not widely enforced.
The lax enforcement is mainly
due to fear the curse of the priests, which many believe has power to
kill. According to ECM, for the most part it is only Christians who
realize that Jesus Christ has power greater than any god. It is their voices, emboldened by that truth,
that are heard speaking against the practice or to seek freedom for the
trokosi slaves and their children.
A statement on ECM's website
reads: "It is natural for Every Child Ministries to be anti-slavery
and interested in human rights, since it is God who endues human beings
with dignity and honor by creating them in His image."
That's what's been driving the
ministry for 22 years. ECM also launched
a project called "Stomp Out Slavery" to mobilize those newly aware.
Through the freedom efforts, the girls are not only freed
but given training and, most importantly, evangelized and discipled. These girls are a
seed that is the start of something new in Ghana.
