Two NGO’s, Every Child Ministries and Fetish Slaves Liberation Movement, cooperated to negotiate the liberation of all the Aklidokpo shrine slaves. This was facilitated by the fact that the shrine priest had died, so the shrine owners and elders agreed to liberate rather than enstooling a new priest. The liberation was a public event in which the shrine owners signed an agreement that slavery was ended in that place, all their slaves were freed, and they would never again take in slaves to the shrine. In this case a 69 year old woman was freed who had spent most of her life in shrine slavery. She suffered greatly while in servitude and feared that she would never get out alive. After the liberation, when ECM counselors first visited her, she was very sick, but she recovered and is now in good health.
Location
Ghana · Ghana · 2002
(location generalized to protect survivors) Response & intervention
Although no one has ever been prosecuted for involvement in ritual servitude, law enforcement is supportive of the liberation efforts by NGO’s. The liberation was attended by CHRAJ (Committee on Human Rights & Administrative Justice), police and representatives of several government agencies.
The victims were emancipated in a public and culturally appropriate ceremony which ended their obligation to the shrine. Afterwards they received direct aid, family reconciliation intervention where possible, aid in starting a small business, and counseling both immediate and long term. http://www.ecmafrica.org/36208.ihtml
Every Child Ministries (ECM) Ghana and Fetish Slaves Liberation Movement (FESLIM)
One of the main focus points of Every Child Ministries is an anti-slavery/anti-trafficking initiative on behalf of African children. ECM has conducted extensive research into the issue of ritual servitude and follows all the shrines of the area that still hold trokosi slaves. This liberation was one of the fruits of that initiative.
Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.