Everything Makes A Difference.

Last week, Touch A Life volunteer Beth Johnson held a garage sale in Wheaton, IL, with a group of friends. The sale lasted two and a half days and the women not only sold possessions in order to raise money for the foundation but they also educated and informed patrons of the dangers of human trafficking and of its prevalence throughout the world. 

Amazingly, this effort raised $1,600, which is nearly the amount necessary to sponsor a Touch A Life child for an entire year. These women were able to accomplish a huge goal merely by holding a simple event. Their actions have contributed so much to our organization. Thanks, Beth and friends!

This story is the perfect reminder that everything, no matter how great or small, makes a difference.

Seven Children Rescued.

We are so excited to announce that seven more children have been rescued off of Lake Volta! These amazing kids were saved through the efforts of Ghanaian Executive Director, George Achibra; his volunteer team, including his son, Village of Life Director George, Jr., Achibra; Touch A Life's consultant and volunteer, Emily George; City of Refuge/Tema Program Executive Director, Johnbull Omorefe; City of Refuge/Tema Program Spiritual Director, Kofi Achibra; and the Not For Sale Campaign's volunteer team.

Here are the names and ages of the beautiful children rescued by our fabulous staff and volunteers:

• Wisdom Abuanor (12 years old)

• Joel Abuanor (8 years old)

• Teiko Addo (7 years old)

• Joseph Goku (11 years old)

• Jacob Goku (11 years old; Joseph's twin)

• Fostina (14 years old)

• Justine (9 years old)

Wisdom, Joel, Teiko, Joseph and Jacob will call the City of Refuge/Tema Program home, while Fostina and Justine will live at the Village of Life.

We are so excited to welcome these children into the Touch A Life family!

Tema Beach Day.

Emily and the children from the Tema program at the beach.

Emily George, who has spent the past month in Ghana, enlisted the support of her family to sponsor a beach day for the children of the Tema program. None of the children had ever spent time at the beach, and they were ecstatic that they got to participate in such a fun excursion. They spent the day soaking up the sun, playing in the sand and enjoying time with one another. Here's a huge thank you to the George family for sponsoring this amazing day for the kids.

Kete-Krachi Update.

The beautiful six-year-old girl rescued off of Lake Volta this past weekend.

As previously mentioned, Emily George is traveling to the Touch A Life programs in Ghana, collecting statistics and writing reports on human trafficking. Most recently, she made the trek up to Lake Volta and to the Village of Life (located in Kete-Krachi) and was able to part of the rescue of a beautiful six-year-old girl.

In Emily's words, here is the account of the rescue and transformation:

• Yesterday, we rescued our first trafficked girl. She cannot be more than six years old and is an orphan. At first, she was very frightened and was crying. Johnbull (the Director of the City of Refuge) was holding her and she was lying listless on his shoulder. She did not understand English, so I stood there touching her arms and tracing her face and kissing her hands and whispering into her ear and I witnessed the miracle of love. She slowly came ALIVE. Her eyes started shining. She started smiling. When I would stop touching her, she would hold out her hand and grab me. If I walked away, she would look at me from afar and beckon me to come back to her. She then started kissing my hands and laughing and playing. Johnbull carried her to the boat and I sat with her as she consumed almost a liter of water in just a few minutes. We drove away as the sun was setting, and by the time we arrived back at the shelter, she was dancing and laughing and playing. It was a MIRACLE...and just like that, another child was free.

Emily also wrote about lead rescue volunteer, George Achibra, and about the graceful influence and gentle power he exerts in Ghana:

• During these visits [to the island communities], George would have all the community leaders and assemblymen sit in a circle and he would begin his teaching. He would talk to them about trafficking and slavery. He explained the law to them. He explained the work that he is doing--that the children he has rescued are now receiving an education and vocational training. He explained the way trafficking destroys the future of Ghana. He invited them to participate in his alternative livelihood and microlending programs. He honored several of the fishermen who are no longer using children and still doing very well in their business. George is a health and development dream. And my hero.

Thank you for checking in on our updates on Emily's trip.

Trafficking in Persons Report 2009.

Mark Kwadwo, in a photo taken by the New York Times in the fall of 2006, was the first child rescued by Touch A Life.

This month, the Trafficking in Persons Report was released by the U.S. Government State Department. Each year, the Department of State is required to submit a report to Congress on the efforts foreign governments are making to eliminate forms of human trafficking. This is the ninth report that has been submitted, and the purpose is to not only fulfill the required law but to also raise awareness of the issue.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton wrote the following in the introduction of the report:

• The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States. In acknowledging America's own struggle with modern-day slavery and slavery-related practices, we offer partnership. We call on every government to join us in working to build consensus and leverage resources to eliminate all forms of human trafficking. This year, there is new urgency in this call. As the ongoing financial crisis takes an increasing toll on many of the world's migrants--who often risk everything for the slim hope of a better future for their families--too often they are ensnared by traffickers who exploit their desperation. We recognize their immense suffering, and we commit to aiding their rescue and recovery.

On page 24 of the report, the famous picture (shown below) of Mark Kwadwo from the New York Times article that caught Pam's attention back in 2006 is used to depict the situation of human trafficking in Ghana.

Check out the report in its entirety here.

Tema Update.

Emily and the kids in the Tema Program.

Emily George, a member of Touch A Life's volunteer staff, is spending a month in Ghana, conducting research on human trafficking and collecting statistics regarding the problem on Lake Volta.

She has spent the first part of her trip at the City of Refuge in Tema. She's gotten the opportunity to connect with the children, and she even raised enough money for them to take what was, for most, their first-ever field trip to the beach. Here's an excerpt from Emily's e-mail updates, which detail her activity in Ghana:

• The kids continue to amaze me daily. It's beautiful to see how capable they are of giving and receiving love after everything that they have been through on the lake. It's a miracle. Our evenings are filled with singing and dancing and chasing and teasing. I even had the privilege of judging a song and dance contest the other night. It was fantastic!

Keep checking the blog for more posts about Emily's trip!

The Emmanuel Project.

Touch A Life supporter and volunteer Josh Farrar has started a campaign to raise money to sponsor Emmanuel Degbe's food, shelter, clothing and education for one year.

Emmanuel is only four years old. Soon after he was born, Emmanuel's parents died and he was taken into custody by his uncle. Unfortunately, his uncle didn't provide proper care for him and decided to sell him to a fisherman on Lake Volta. Emmanuel worked for 14-16 hours a day with children his age. The conditions they worked under were dangerous, and their living quarters were unfathomable. His daily responsibilities included swimming to retrieve heavy fishing nets and bailing water from leaky boats, amongst other chores. It's likely that his master beat him.

Farrar wrote the following on the Facebook page for The Emmanuel Project:

• One need do no more than look at before and after photos of Emmanuel to see that he has thrived since being rescued by Touch A Life. Now, he sleeps in comfortable, warm quarters. Now, he goes to school regularly and eats warm meals. Now, he is loved by a houseparent and his new brothers and sisters, also freed slaves. Now, Emmanuel has a life.

Visit our Donate Page to contribute to The Emmanuel Project, or contact Director of Project Development, Rachel Johnson (rachelj.tal@gmail.com), to find out how you can start a program like this on your own.

Anne Frank.

Some encouraging words:

:: How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ::

Anne Frank

Sponsor A Touch A Life Child!

Touch A Life now offers volunteers and supporters the opportunity to sponsor children in our Ghana, Cambodia and Vietnam programs. Supporters can pay $50 per month to cover the costs of food, shelter, clothing and tuition for children involved in Touch A Life programs. Once involved in the process, donors will receive letter updates and photos from the children they sponsor.

Check out the "Donate" tab to find out how you can become a sponsor today!

Jantsen's Gift Web Site.

Jantsen's Gift, Pam Cope's memoir, is available for sale in bookstores throughout the country. Additionally, a Web site devoted to the book has been launched. The site is a great place to learn about the content of the book, to hear the answers to frequently asked questions, to purchase the book as a gift for a friend, to discuss prevalent topics in group settings and to find ways to get involved with book promotion and with the cause itself. Check it out today!

Obama Goes to Ghana.

President Barack Obama has declared that he will be visiting Ghana in July. Instead of visiting Kenya, his father's homeland, or Nigeria, Africa's stronghold, Obama has chosen to visit Ghana.

This is huge and exciting news. It's great for the Ghanaian government. As a whole, the government will be looked upon favorably by Americans because of the president's visit. Tourism could increase. The nation will be in the spotlight.

Our hope at the Touch A Life Foundation is that outsiders, including President Obama himself, take a hard look at the other things happening within the country. Undoubtedly, Ghana is an incredibly beautiful country full of amazing, kind, hospitable and generous people. However, there are still those who are selling their children into slavery. There are still those citizens who are forcing children to work on Lake Volta's choppy waters every single day. There are still people being persecuted. There are still people who need help.

Lead the revolution, President Obama. Open your eyes to the injustices occurring in Ghana. Don't let us down.