Mercy's Story

Mercy was a little girl when she was chosen to become a Trokosi slave. Her grandmother had stolen some beads, and according to the Trokosi practice, Mercy needed to atone for the sins of her family. Mercy was taken from her family to live in a world where she was regularly sexually and physically abused by the fetish priest.

Thankfully, I.N. Network is committed to ending the Trokosi practice. After years of suffering, Mercy became one of over 3,500 young women to be freed from slavery. Mercy now works with I.N. Network, traveling to remote villages in Ghana and helping other girls experience the same freedom she now knows.

About Ghana

Ghana

Quick Look:

Population:
23,887,812
Life expectancy at birth:
60.1 years
Religions:
Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1%
Languages:
Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1%

Ministry Overview

Year Ministry Began: 1984
Executive Director: Rev. Walter Pimpong
National Workers: Jacob, Victoria, John (Last Names Withheld for Security) 

Since 1984, I.N. Network Ghana has been on the forefront of the fight against the Trokosi practice, a cruel tradition which removes young girls from their families to serve as slaves to the village priest. By negotiating with the priests and pointing out the evils of slavery, I.N. Network Ghana has seen thousands of young women set free. With the government of Ghana now committed to eliminating the Trokosi practice, I.N. Network Ghana is determined to free every young girl from slavery.

A big part of the Trokosi Freedom effort is what to do with the women and children once they are free. The Vocational Training School at Adidome provides a place for vulnerable women to receive counseling and also to learn the skills that will help them to provide for their families. The children of these women are provided with a Christian education at the I.N. Network Ghana schools in the Volta region of Ghana. These children, born in difficult circumstances, receive the tools to escape poverty and live meaningful lives.

Current Projects

Trokosi Freedom, GhanaOngoing

  • Trokosi Freedom - Ghana

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Ongoing

Trokosi Freedom

Ghana

About the project:

Fetish priests have a powerful voice in the Volta Region of Ghana. As part of the Trokosi practice, the village priest demands a virgin girl as atonement for a sin allegedly committed by an elder family member. Families are gripped with fear and obey this order, sending their little daughter to the village shrine to become a slave for life. The girls living in the village shrine face constant physical and sexual abuse, and they are forced to raise the children they conceive as a result of sexual abuse.

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I.N. Network is committed to freeing every young woman and child from Trokosi slavery. We begin by building relationships with the priests and community leaders. We help them see the damage they are doing in the lives of the young girls and, indeed, the entire village. When the fetish priests understand how the Trokosi system negatively effects the village, change can begin. When all the children in the village are able to go to school, they learn that slavery is not okay. A new generation of children can grow up in freedom with the skills to stop the Trokosi practice from happening in the future.

We have also partnered with the government of Ghana to end the practice of Trokosi by making it illegal. But even though the law is in place, many rural communities continue to subject young girls to this life-threatening practice, so I.N. Network's negotiations will continue until every last person is released. 

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Kanuwloe - A Place to Sit and Learn, Ghana0% Complete

  • Kanuwloe - A Place to Sit and Learn - Ghana

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Kanuwloe - A Place to Sit and Learn

Ghana

About the project:

Funding is needed for desks, cupboards, library tables, and chairs so the Kanuwloe Junior High School will be ready for 150 junior high students.

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The junior high school at the village of Kanuwloe is in the beginning of the construction process, thanks to the Lord's provision through U.S. supporters.

Funding is needed for desks, cupboards, library tables, and chairs so the school can be ready for 150 junior high students. With all these pieces in place, teachers and students alike will be able to put their full attention on their studies.

Will you help to furnish the Kanuwloe Junior High School?

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