After a sleepless night followed by a grueling 24+ hour flight group one of the YGAP volunteers touch down in Accra, Ghana.  Getting my film hand checked through security proved to be a problem in both Sydney and Melbourne but thankfully the poor bloke at Johannesburg airport was willing to oblige. I had a bit of a chuckle to myself watching the other volunteers facial expressions as they got their first impression of me looking like the biggest tourist of all time lugging around my backpack full of photographic gear and a bag containing 100+ rolls of Kodak film stock.  I am sure I looked as ridiculous as I felt. To say I was excited is a severe understatement.  This trip has felt like a life changing experience from the moment I decided to take it on and like all the best things in life it seemed to take forever until the day actually came around.  My time in Ghana consists of two weeks taking part in volunteer activities (trying not to take too many photos) followed by another two weeks documenting the trafficking of children into Ghana’s fishing industry (taking way too many photos) The Photo For Freedom project.

After gathering our group at the baggage collection area Kali, Kian, Anthony and myself set off through the gates to meet the new family over the next four weeks.  I had heard many things about Stacy and Johnbull Omorefe (founders of City Of Refuge Ministries-CORM) through talks with past volunteers and briefings at YGAP meetings.  I was a bit anxious about meeting these people I had heard so many amazing things about but all of my fears were instantly diminished as we walked through the gates we were greeted by warm hugs and smiles from Stacy, Johnbull, Autumn (a volunteer teacher from USA) and Jess (our final member of the first volunteer group who had arrived in Accra a day earlier).

We piled ourselves in the CORM-mobile (a slightly beat up white dodge minivan) and after around 6-7 attempts to start her up we were on our way to Doryumu.  We chatted busily during our ride and were entertained by Anthony who is an aspiring stand up comic.  I also managed to pick up my first couple of words in Twi, the others quickly pointed out I was pronouncing it in a Japanese accent.  After a very bumpy ride we arrived at our accommodation. It was very basic consisting of two bunk beds on a vinyl floor with a single blue light globe swinging from the ceiling (the same found in the dunny at Hungry Jacks in St Kilda).  The blue light wasn’t a hit with the team at first but after a short time it was something we looked forward to coming home to). I closed my eyes and drifted off with a massive smile across my face.  Finally in Africa!

I opened my eyes to the sounds of busy chatter and people sweeping right outside our window.  One word I could distinguish already was Obruni-white which was to follow me everywhere I went for the remaining trip no matter how tanned I managed to get.  I was the first one up and quickly took the opportunity to grab my camera and go for a solo walk, this was to become my ritual for the next 4 weeks.  I took in my first impressions of Ghana in daylight and loved every second of it. We were only in the suburbs but I was finding photo opportunities at every corner.  I wondered around the compound, where we were staying and was greeted warmly by families cooking, washing and preparing for the days activities.  The way light looks here is instantly noticeable from a photography standpoint.  Normally harsh direct light is something I try to avoid but everything seems to glow with a luminosity that differs from light in Australia.  Also did I mention it was hot? Because it was really bloody hot!

We gathered our group and set off to the ‘Safe House’ about 2kms from where we are staying.  By the time we reached the compound I could feel the sweat running down my back (I wont mention my sweat from this point onwards as it was constant for the rest of my trip).  To describe my first experience stepping into the CORM household… overwhelming. We met the 17 children and the 10 or so staff.  The next hour consisted of a quick brekkie of instant coffee and white bread and kids jumping all over me.  Sunglasses were an instant winner with the kids as was my tattoo, shoulder rides and my arm and leg hair (strange I know).  It took some time for me to get used to this.

The following days were an absolute rollercoaster.  We visited the new site of the Children’s Village, which YGAP and Photo For Freedom are fund raising for.  The Children’s Village consists of a school with 7 classrooms, housing for staff and children as well as land put aside for farming.  The construction for the school was due to start in the next week with the foundations already laid.  This is a huge step for CORM as it means they can accommodate for more rescued children and provide the kids with a stable home and education for the future. It was a great insight into what CORM is hoping to achieve.  It was also great to see money raised through YGAP was being put to such good use.  I have a huge amount of respect for what CORM was achieving and proud that YGAP is supporting such an important, well thought out project.

We also were told of some of the backgrounds of the children in the care of CORM.  The stories were heart-breaking and hit a nerve with all of us.  The children’s stories all varied so much but they all shared an extremely traumatic childhood and an extraordinary amount of resilience. It was also my first chance to hear the vision that both Johnbull and Stacy share for the future of CORM as well as their understanding of child trafficking in Ghana. It is not as simple taking children off masters and prosecuting.  Many of the fishing masters were once slaves and living well below the poverty line themselves.  Fishing on Lake Volta is not exactly a booming industry due to over fishing and pollution.  The fishing masters are very much victims of circumstance, the world that they find themselves in is the only world they know.  We also learnt how CORM get fishing masters to willingly cooperate in the release of the children apposed to forcing them with the use of law.  If the master agrees to give trafficked child a home and education in the care of CORM it is far more valuable than taking a trafficked child away by force.  The master in turn becomes an example for other fishermen on the lake.  Another way of breaking this cycle is by empowering and educating vulnerable families who are at risk of selling a child (particularly single mothers and family in the care of orphans).  Apart from the rescue, housing and education of the children these are some of the tactics CORM is implementing.

We were also frustrated to hear of other NGO’s paying fishing masters to release trafficked children into their care. In turn this creates a whole new market for child trafficking. This is clearly adding to the problem of child trafficking rather than helping. I walked away from the sight of the school knowing I had only touched the tip of the iceberg of the problem of child trafficking in Ghana.

The next morning (1am to be exact) about 10 of us piled into a mini bus and begun our 12-hour drive to Lake Volta.  After a very bumpy and temperamental sleep which included getting a head butt in the back of the head from Kali and constant effort my behalf not to drool on Stacy’s shoulder we arrived at Dambai to take the ferry across the lake.  I couldn’t believe how much the landscape had changed.  Although I thought Doryumu looked somewhat like a postcard I now looked around and realised we were now seriously off the beaten path. Women appearing on the horizon carrying water on their heads, melting into the heat off the blood red earth made for amazing views… This is real Afrcia!

Although the number of trafficked children in the Volta region are estimated to fall between 4,000-5,000 Johnbull and Stacy predict the numbers are more likely around 7,000+.  It didn’t take long to find out why they believe this, once setting out on a boat it was only a matter of minutes before we came across a master with two slave children.  We were able to witness Johnbull in action talking with the master and children.  Creating a relationship with the master is a very important at these first meetings.  The worst outcome would be never seeing the master and children again.  Other NGO’s have been known to approach aggressively and even threatening the master with prosecution, this could result in a master ‘getting rid of the evidence’ in other words killing the child to protect themselves from the threat.  Johnbull on the other hand convinced the master to bring the children to a feeding/de-worming provided for free for children in the Volta region, which was to take place the following day.  As well as building a relationship with the master this gives CORM the opportunity to register the children and master.  The registration is to be part of an ongoing database, which Johnbull and Stacy hope will make masters more accountable for the children.  This is a very important tool for the prevention of child trafficking for the future and insuring the safety of children working on the lake.

The following day took place with the preparations for the feeding of 300 children in Benjamase.  We packaged 300 take away containers with rice, a boiled eggs and delicious gravy which Lucy prepared earlier that morning. We also set up a registration desk, photo station, de-worming station and braced ourselves for the madness that followed.  Forming a cue can be difficult at the best of times but you can imagine when you’re dealing with food and medicine for sick and hungry children.  I was set up at the photo station and commenced taking 300 or so portraits of some very confused, upset children. I have had far worse photographic jobs back in Melbourne with adults behaving worse than these children! No smiles in photos that day.  Besides the mild chaos we managed to feed, de-worm and register 300 children and begin compiling information for the new database. I was happy to help in any way I could manage even if many tears were directed at the hairy-faced Obruni with a camera.

The drive home to Doryumu was long and hot and pretty uneventful.  We did see some of the most suspect African driving imaginable, it involved a minibus almost tipping on its side at the ferry crossing. 6 or so people were willing to run to the side it was leaning to and try and hold the bloody thing up (which would have squashed them for sure if it had fallen) I was very happy we didn’t see any fatalities.  On the drive back there were many thoughts to process but I was amazed how much I was missing our home back at the safe house especially the kids and staff.  After arriving back at the house, eating dinner and playing with the kids I had the realisation of how lucky the children in CORM’s care are. To be given a loving home and education was priceless after seeing the conditions at Lake Volta, I was also acutely aware of how many children were not so lucky and who were working that night on Lake Volta.

I filled the following days by attending school, helping with construction of the new children’s village and hanging out with the staff at the safe house with the beautiful cooks and staff who care for the children.  My favorite place in the house was near the open kitchen where lots of action took place.  The kitchen always some exotic foods boiling away with a constant hub of activity. I was genuinely touched by generosity and culture I experienced within the walls of the house.  Although Ghana has some huge problems I felt the rest I had many things to learn from the way I saw family and community operating.   Afternoons were spent playing loads of football which was absolute bliss.  Johnbull and his skills are well worth a mention here, once being an under 21 national player for Nigeria he is a massive force with the ball at his feet. His ability only added to the ample respect I already had for the man.

After two weeks I had come to know all of the 17 children and staff very well and felt a profound connection with Ghana and its amazing people. The fact that Ghanaians are the happiest people I have ever encountered and at the same time dealing with difficulties I have a very hard time even comprehending truly humbles me. I was now coming to the end of my volunteer stages of my adventure and heading into the Photo For Freedom project which was to take place over the next two weeks.  Johnbull, Stacy and Joseph (Johnbull’s right hand man and absolute champion) and I sat down and started to plan the following weeks.  By this stage of my trip the Photo For Freedom project had become more important to me than I could have ever imagined, I want to support these people more than ever.

Read about week 3-4 the Photo For Freedom project http://www.photoforfreedom.com/blog/ghana-week-3-4-the-photo-for-freedom-project