Mr. Chairman, Invited Ministers (government leaders), Invited Guests, Togbuiwo (chiefs), Mamawo (Queen mothers), Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is indeed a momentous occasion in the life of this community and of this great nation, Ghana. Today you are taking a great step forward. Today you are restoring to these women and children their dignity and their humanity. In giving them total and permanent freedom today, you are releasing them to become productive members of society. Today you are helping to eradicate the terrible shame that the practice of trokosi has brought upon this nation. Today you are saying, "Some things from our cultural past must be preserved because they are good and useful, helpful, nation-building in character" but others things from ancient culture must GO. They must definitely NOT continue, in order for progress to take place, because we fail to find them good, helpful, or useful in building the society at large. Today you saying, "We Ghanaians have the discernment to judge between these two kinds of culture, and the courage to be selective in our use of our cultural heritage."

Today you take one more step forward towards winning the future of the Ghanaian woman and the Ghanaian girl child. It is a step towards a future of freedom and opportunity. I congratulate you all. Every Child Ministries has been pleased and privileged to be a sponsoring organization in liberating these women and their children, along with our esteemed co-laborers, FESLIM and AMURT. As International Director I bring your community heartfelt congratulations from the entire International team of Every Child Ministries. You are all to be commended for your efforts, and I know that this is going to be a better and stronger community and nation because of your commitment. There was a time when because of the practice of trokosi by this shrine, the power of women and young girls was definitely unused in the community, or used only for degrading and destructive purposes. You made a first step toward correcting this terrible wrong in giving the trokosi "temporary release." Today you make the final and irreversible step forward in granting them complete and permanent FREEDOM. In freedom, they will be entirely free to use their God-given abilities for the good of their families, the community, and the nation.

Of course, we follow the comments of those who would not want to see the trokosi liberated. It's very interesting, you know, because you never know quite what they will say, and they never seem to realize that their statements at various times are entirely contradictory one to the other. I read, for instance, that our opponents say there is no such practice as trokosi. Hmm! I wonder then, what it is that these women experienced. I read that at other times, they admit there ARE trokosi, but say they are treated not like slaves, but more like queens. I've asked many former trokosi about that. Not wanting to prejudice their answer, I asked them in very positive terms, "What was GOOD about your time as trokosi?" So far, the response has been universally the same. They stare at me with a horrified expression as if I were an imbecile. "Nothing. There is nothing good about trokosi," they all say. "What? You weren't treated like queens?" I ask. Now their expression darkens even more. "No. We were slaves. Nothing but slaves." The hurt, the degradation, the humiliation goes very, very deep. The damage to their lives, most likely, only God Almighty can heal. The damage to the community has also been immense, but today you are taking the first step in removing the blight.

You know, of all the arguments that are set forth against us who are seeking to liberate the trokosi, the most ridiculous is that the NGO's involved are masquerading their own church members to pretend to be trokosi. This argument shows just how desperate some people are for arguments. After all, none of these liberations are done in secret. All are public events, well publicized in advance, to which honored members of the government and community leaders are invited. Now it may be true that some trokosi having been temporarily released have become Christians and church members. Although the shrine does all it can to maintain control over the women, the power of the Gospel cannot be stopped. As the Bible says, "The Word of God is not bound." So some of them became Christians on temporary release. Does that negate the fact that they are still considered trokosi? When you read these claims, do you ever consider the fact that if the NGO's are masquerading people pretending they are something they are not, that this means the whole community must be an accomplice to their deeds? Do you, the people of the community, not know the priests and shrine owners of your area? What an insult! What an outrageous insult to the leaders of this nation, to imply that you would be a part of something you know to be a masquerade! No, these liberations could not be done if the people of the community did not know and agree that these are indeed our shrine owners, and these women were indeed trokosi in the shrines of the community.

The arguments of those who oppose these liberations are not much different from the arguments that used to be put forth in America by the old slave masters. Those slave masters used to argue that slavery was an innate part of our culture. Sound familiar? It was a part of our culture, but I'm so glad it isn't any more! At Cape Coast Castle, the Door of No Return was closed for good, and aren't we all glad? Society did not fall apart, as the slave masters predicted. American society thrived after the end of slavery, and Ghanaian society will thrive more and more as trokosi slavery is ended for good.

Yes, I call trokosi slavery. I take my terminology from those who have endured its tortures, not from the lead of those who were in the position of slave masters. Thank God it is ended in this place. They say that it's not so bad to admit that you were wrong yesterday. It only means you are wiser today.

When you think of the future of the Ghanaian woman, think of the freedom you are giving not only to these, but to your own children! What peace can a parent have, knowing that if someone loses a necklace and swears by the shrine, the education of the their own precious daughter may be cut short, and she may be forced into a life of debauchery and misery? Your children are now free. Thank God Almighty, this community is free at last! Free to work for the development of this nation.

I personally got involved in this liberation because as a Christian I know that God created all of us, male and female, in His image, with a dignity that should not be marred by slavery. On that basis I must treat every person with respect. I also got involved because so many seem afraid to get involved, afraid to enforce the laws that have been in effect forbidding this practice since 1998. Well, I understand their fear. But I am not afraid, because I serve the living, eternal God who is greater than any other power and who promises to protect me as I do His will.

No one will be forced to become a Christian. I want to emphasize that. Christians believe that God Himself is the author of free choice in matters of faith. But the Gospel message is that Jesus Himself has already paid the full sacrifice for all their sins and that God has accepted His sacrifice and showed that by raising Him from the dead. Now these women were forced involuntarily into tremendous suffering in an attempt to atone for someone's sins, some of them as replacement for past generations who also suffered for the same sin to the end of their lives, with the prospect of another replacement being required on their death, so that the thing was never done. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them find the Christian message just incredibly good news. If they do, their free choice is not to be confused with force. We'll respect the choice each woman makes.

After all, the Constitution of this nation has guaranteed freedom of religion to these citizens all along. In the shrine, that freedom was taken from them, and the community ignored that breach of freedom, that inconsistency with its Constitution. Today, we join hands with all the leaders of this community in restoring that freedom to these women. It was their right all along.

I call on everyone in this community to welcome your sisters back and to embrace them as one with you. They were sent away on a long and difficult journey not of their own choosing. Today they have arrived home safely. Embrace them, accept them, and rejoice together.

I call on community leaders to work incessantly to put a speedy end to this heinous practice of trokosi, to enforce the law they have wisely put into place, to guarantee the safety and freedom of all the nation's citizens, and to free especially its women and release their God-given insights and strengths into building this nation.

I call on those who are being liberated today, along with their children, to use what is left of your lives to do something positive for this nation. Your past has been dismal, but today your community gives you the gift of a brighter future. Take it. With God's help and grace, build a better tomorrow, because from this day forward, you are free. Thank God Almighty, you are free at last!

Follow-up efforts for this liberation:

Following this liberation, the survivors received direct material aid and a financial package to enable them to start or develop a small business.  ECM's counselor Mary has also provided constant counseling.  She travels constantly about their area, meeting them in homes, schools, churches, and under trees.  ECM counseling provides friendship, acceptance, encouragement, guidance, and Bible teaching.

Present need for this follow-up effort:

Funds to expand Mary's travel capabilities and facilitate her movement about the area, and a ministry partner to accompany her.

Click here if you can help.

Would you like to hear Mama Lorella in person? 

To invite Lorella Rouster to speak at your church or event as an advocate for trokosi slave children, click here.

To request a DVD made at the Aklidokpo Liberation, click here.   A donation of $10 is suggested.

Not familiar with the vocabulary used in this speech?  Check out terminology in the Dictionary of Trokosi Terms

Does Mama Lorella seem like she's arguing with someone but you're not sure who it is?  Check out what the opposition to liberating the slaves is saying, and compare it with the TRUTH.

Your gift designated to the Child Slave Project can help liberate others and help end the practice of shrine slavery.  The fight is long and difficult, just as it was in the days when William Wilberforce worked a lifetime to end trans-atlantic slavery in the British Empire.  We MUST persevere.  

Thank you on behalf of the children you will be helping!

 Back to Slave Child Main Page

Take me to Frequently Asked Questions about Trokosi

Let me read another of Mama Lorella's speeches on Ritual Servitude

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Check out ECM's French website on Ritual Servitude called "Esclavage Modern"  (www.esclavagemodern.com)

  

Every Child Ministries is one of the leading anti-
slavery groups working for the liberation of children
from ritual servitude and other practices of modern-
day slavery and working for the unconditional abolition
of all forms of child slavery in our world today.  You can help.