On a hot afternoon in May this year, I sat on a lumber to listen to the heart-wrenching story of a 10-year-old boy who had just been rescued from a fishing community along the banks of Lake Volta, Ezdrakpota. Tears welled up in his eyes as he narrated to me how his master used to compel him to dive into the deep, bottomless lake to untangle fishing nets.

Kwame as I choose to call him told me about how he was struck with fear on the island when his friend died after he was forced to remove a net from a stump. He swore never to go on the lake but the next morning, his master came calling, he had no option but to endure the cocktail of abuse, fear and bondage. He never set eyes on his parents, not even their voice via a phone call.

Kwame’s story mirrors what thousands of children continue to face on Lake Volta-an institutionalized modern slavery which unfortunately in some communities receives the backing of powerful people. These powerful people are the profiteers.

They are the beneficiaries and the instigators of the crime. The sweat of these children is money in their pockets so they do not care if they sweat a bucketful. Thankfully, some of these powerful persons can be found in churches. Some of these parents who give out their children for a pittance are also found right at the feet of God every Sunday.

Freedom Sunday takes the fight against modern slavery to the church by creating the awareness and speaking out against the practice. On September 22, 2019, the International Justice Mission partnered churches across the globe to commemorate the day. In Ghana, the message in most churches focused on child trafficking on Lake Volta.

At the Achimota School Chapel, hundreds of students during church service held ‘End child trafficking now.’ “Let's end child trafficking in our lifetime’ and freedom placards as they demanded justice for victims of modern slavery.

Speaking to the students, Government Relations Fellow at the International Justice Mission in Ghana Kim Hawkins, reiterated the need for collective effort to combat the menace.

“These children are promised education, however, these children never get the education. They never set foot inside the school. They just fish all day”. She added, “Collectively we believe we can end child trafficking on Lake Volta. However, the work does not begin and end with us. It begins and ends with you guys”.

Government Relations Fellow at the International Justice Mission in Ghana Kim Hawkins

At the Calvary Baptist Church at Shiashie in East Legon, the message focused on God’s love for justice. Former General Secretary of the Christian Council and Senior Pastor of the church, Rev. Dr, Fred Deegbe said the church has an obligation to create awareness on child trafficking. He stated, there are many who still doubt the harsh realities of the treatment meted out to children who are engaged in fishing on the lake.

“One of the greatest enemies we have in our society is ignorance and denial. When we started this campaign some years back as Christian Council just to get people to admit that there is something called child trafficking in the Volta Basin, they said it was not true.” He further stated “the first step towards combating the practice is the awareness and acknowledgement that it exists when people get there, they must point it out that it is evil.

Speaking at the Kaneshie Presbyterian Church, Country Director of the International Justice Mission in Ghana, Will Lathrop said “Freedom Sunday is about the church waking up, flexing muscle and bringing justice to all the vulnerable and oppressed groups across the world”

Country Director of the International Justice Mission in Ghana, Will Lathrop

Children at the St. Paul’s AME Zion Church at Madina were not left out of the commemoration of Freedom Sunday as they held “Isaiah 1vs 17 and “freedom is for everyone” placards to admonish Ghanaians and citizens of other countries to seek Justice. Head pastor of the Church Rev. David Zungbey shared with the congregation heartbreaking stories of how children engaged in fishing on Lake Volta are treated.  

He advised the congregants not to give their children to strangers who promise to take them to Lake Volta with the promise of taking care of their education.

He added “People there are powerful, the boat owners are rich and wealthy community leaders, and they will not readily release these children, so some of these things you have to go undercover. Some of these boat owners they sit in our churches, some of them are elders”

At the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Dansoman, IJM’s Head of Advocacy Leonard Ackon urged the congregation not to shield perpetrators of human trafficking.

He said, “All of us must understand that it is not part of our culture for someone to exploit a child, it is not part of our culture for someone to buy a child for GH¢200. A fishing net is even much expensive than the amount the slave masters use to buy the children” He concluded that individuals must understand that the problem exists, that acknowledging it exists is a significant effort at addressing it.

The 2^nd Minister of the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Rev. Daniel Wilson Akakpo talked about a welfare system that will take care of poor members. He says poverty is the main cause of child trafficking.

Freedom Sunday was commemorated in many churches all over the world. In Ghana, the day was observed at the Miracle Mercy International Church, Lashibi EP Church, Greenwich Meridian Presby Church, Mamprobi Methodist Church, Ebenezer society AME Zion Church and more