Did you know …
“There’s an estimated 7,000 children who work in the Ghana fishing industry. Some of these children are as young as 5 and 6 years old. All of these children are slaves.” — Mercy Project
Today, we celebrate Labor Day by take a day off from our jobs to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers. No matter if we’re celebrating at home, at the beach, or in front of a smoky grill (yum!), we’re entering into a tradition that has largely been shaped by Labor Unions. As we enjoy a hot burger and hang out with friends and family, we’re not only celebrating hard work, we’re honoring fair, ethical working practices and the laws that prevent discrimination, abuse, and child labor in our country. Without these laws, the most vulnerable members of society suffer.
Who are the most vulnerable?
Children.
As we’re celebrating the systems in our own country that strive to prevent injustices like child trafficking and child labor, we should be mindful of the many child slaves around the world who are unprotected, and the organizations, like Mercy Project, who are working to free them.
Mercy Project
Can you imagine your own children working 14 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Engaged in long, hard days of physical labor, eating one meal a day, and then falling asleep at night on a dirt floor filled with other slave children?
The thought is startling, isn’t it?
This is the daily reality for kids who have been trafficked into the fishing industry in Ghana, Africa. As with much of Africa, there is a great deal of poverty in Ghana. Unfortunately, this leaves many mothers in an unimaginable position: sell their children to someone who can take better care of them or watch them starve to death. Most of the mothers are told their children will be given food, housing, and an education. Instead, the kids are often taken to Lake Volta where they become child slaves and their mothers never see them again. Thankfully, Mercy Project is working to break the cycles of trafficking around Lake Volta by providing alternate, more efficient, sustainable, fishing methods for villagers – ultimately eliminating the need for child slaves. The Mercy Project isn’t throwing money at a problem, it’s building something that will last!
Because of the work Mercy Project is doing in Ghana, the first group of children will be freed this month from Lake Volta!
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Here’s how you can get involved:
- Watching Mercy Project’s short documentary (seen above).
- Following Mercy Project on Facebook.
- Connecting with Mercy Project via Twitter.
- Spending some time on Mercy Project’s website.
- Share via social media the Mercy Project’s work in Ghana, starting with this post!
“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Will you spread the word?
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