In a previous post I gave an overview of the evil practice of Trokosi slavery or “religious servitude” (the politically correct terminology). When we Westerners hear talk of “slavery” it is almost an abstract concept to us – after all slavery was abolished over a hundred years ago – right?
I thought I would share with you the stories of a couple of the young girls I met at the Baptist Vocational Training Center (BVTC). I hope it helps you to understand the reality of this form of slavery and prompts you to pray fervently for its victims.
First, a couple disclaimers: For security and privacy reasons I won’t post the photos of any of the girls whose stories I share. I will also refrain from using their real names. None of the girls spoke English (they all speak a language called Ewe) so when I quote them I am paraphrasing what the translator told me.
Debbie
Debbie came to BVTC just over a month ago. She was released from her shrine along with 24 other girls from 3 other shrines. Her mother was a Trokosi slave and Debbie was born at the shrine. Debbie is 15-16 years old and had spent her entire life at the shrine. She never knew the world outside of the shrine and its farm land.
When I asked Debbie what she thought of her new home at BVTC she replied that it was “much better” than the shrine. I asked her what her favorite thing about BVTC was and she said,
“At the shrine I had to get up when it was dark and go to the fields and farm all day. I didn’t get to eat breakfast. Here I get lots of food. I also get to eat any food I want. At the shrine certain foods were taboo and I couldn’t eat them.”
I followed up by asking her what she disliked the most about the shrine.
“I don’t like farming all day. And when we came back we had to beat drums for the shrine custodians… [she paused and blushed] …we had to dance for them naked.”
I asked her what her favorite thing she was learning at the Centre was and she replied “dress making”. I asked what she wanted to do when she graduated from the Training Centre,
“I want to be a clothes designer and have my own shop. Then people will give me food for the clothes I make.”
Heather
Heather is a 3rd year student at the Centre and will graduate in December. She had also spent her entire life at a shrine. However, unlike Debbie, her mother was not at the shrine with her.
Her mother had been sent to the fetish priest because she had been unable to have children. The priest told her that she had to serve the gods as a Trokosi and they would make her pregnant. Soon after she became pregnant (by one of the priests) and gave birth to Heather. She was allowed to return to her village but her daughter Heather now had to take her place as a Trokosi.
Heather has chosen catering as her specialty at BVTC. She said she hopes to return to her family’s village and start a catering business or restaurant. Heather became a Christian during her time at the Centre and says she thanks God for not only liberating her but helping her to become educated so that she can go back to her family’s village and make a living.
Mary
Mary is one of the youngest girls to be liberated by the Ghana Baptist Convention from a shrine. Though she isn’t quite sure of her age she is probably 11-13 years old. She was freed just last month along with Debbie.
Mary is a 3rd generation Trokosi slave. Her grandfather was the shrine custodian. Since she was related to him and was so young she was treated much better than the other slave girls and didn’t have to work in the fields. Her job was to offer drinks to the gods. Whenever someone came to the shrine to request a favor from the gods they would bring a drink (usually alcoholic) as a gift to the shrine custodians and the god. Mary was the virgin who took the drink and poured it on the idol of the god.
Since Mary is so young she doesn’t quite understand what she was doing at the shrine. When I asked her what she disliked about living at the shrine she said that she liked it. I followed up by asking her if she liked living at the Centre and she replied with,
“Oh, yes. I like it better here. Everyone is happier and I like singing songs.”
I asked Mary what she thought of the daily devotions and weekly church services they have for the girls at the center.
“I like to hear the Word of God. I want to be like the preacher some day.”
Pray for Debbie, Heather, Mary, and the other former Trokosi girls
- Pray for Debbie and Mary as they adjust to a drastically different life at the Baptist Vocational Training Center
- Pray that Debbie and Mary will come to know Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He made to free them eternally
- Pray for Heather as she graduates at the end of the year and attempts to start a new life on her own
- Pray that Heather can be an example of Christ’s forgiveness and forgive her family for what they did to her
- Pray for the staff at the Centre. Pray for them as the educate these young girls and show them a compassion unlike any they have ever experienced.
- Pray for the custodians of the shrines that used to enslave these girls. Though those shrines no longer practice Trokosi slavery they still practice a multitude of demonic activities and are putting their faith (and fear) in inanimate objects. Pray that they too will meet Christ and be freed from the bondage of sin.