SFGate December 14, 2010 04:00 AM Copyright SFGate. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Nancy Borowick / Photo Philanthropy
An adolescent boy pulls in nets after detangling them from the tree stumps below the water. Many children drown during this task.
View All Images Touch A Life Foundation is changing the lives of children who were previously sold into slavery in the fishing industry on Lake Volta in northern Ghana. Touch A Life (TAL) has one home in Tema, named the Village of Love, that houses 24 rescued children and a second home, named the Village of Life, that is home to 44 children in Kete Krachi, which is less than five minutes from the dark and dangerous waters of Lake Volta.
At both locations, I met the 68 girls and boys who were rescued from the lake, and some from cocoa fields. It is amazing to see how children, all of whom were once traded for less than 20 American dollars in exchange for years of strenuous (and illegal) labor, can have the chance to pursue their dreams and live their lives fully.
TAL gives these children the love, safety, nourishment, education and family that they so desperately deserve and need. This is all immediately evident in the moment one arrives at the children's homes. Instantly, one is overwhelmed (and even physically knocked over) by hugs and smiles from these kids. I had the great fortune of spending a week with TAL, mainly in Kete Krachi, where I documented the medical exams conducted by nurse practitioner Brad Gautney, as well as the human trafficking on the lake. Being there and seeing these kids has changed my life forever.
At both locations, I met the 68 girls and boys who were rescued from the lake, and some from cocoa fields. It is amazing to see how children, all of whom were once traded for less than 20 American dollars in exchange for years of strenuous (and illegal) labor, can have the chance to pursue their dreams and live their lives fully.
TAL gives these children the love, safety, nourishment, education and family that they so desperately deserve and need. This is all immediately evident in the moment one arrives at the children's homes. Instantly, one is overwhelmed (and even physically knocked over) by hugs and smiles from these kids. I had the great fortune of spending a week with TAL, mainly in Kete Krachi, where I documented the medical exams conducted by nurse practitioner Brad Gautney, as well as the human trafficking on the lake. Being there and seeing these kids has changed my life forever.
From servitude to safety in northern Ghana
This photo essay was selected by Photo Philanthropy as a finalist for their 2010 Activist Awards in the amateur category. To see all the award winners and finalists, go to www.PhotoPhilanthropy.org.