Victoria Phillips
Sept. 23, 2010
10: 31pm
Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Ghana is one of the poorest regions in the Africa with an estimated 12,000 victims of human trafficking. In areas of extreme poverty, some parents will sale their children for as little as $230 with hopes of giving them a better life. If they make it out of the industry alive, many suffer from sexually transmitted infections, depression, post-traumatic stress, and have trouble adjusting back into society. Also, because of their lack of work skills, they fall back into poverty. The Centre for the Initiative Against Human Trafficking (CAIHT) is helping these victims by providing counseling to raise self-image, provide work skills, and encourage success. However, Ghanian definitions of psychology differs than those of the west. To some people in Ghana, psychology is considered taboo and is associated with brain-washing and mind reading. Because of their view, the area lacks trained psychologists. So, with the help of local religious leaders volunteering as counselors, the CAIHT is beginning to reach victims of human trafficking.
It is nice to read a positive article involving human trafficking! I think obviously cultures have different ideas on counseling and psychology. So, to help areas like Ghana, volunteers of other nations must take on a different approach. The CAIHT has to abide by Ghana’s rules of psychology to help victims. Maybe having religious leaders with some qualification in counseling (which many do) would be best. We must let Ghanians gradually adjust to more modern definitions of counseling on their own time. The main point is to help stop the cycle of human trafficking.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/22/ghana
1 comment:
It is a good thing that they are being offered help in a way that is most appropriate for their culture. More damage could be done if our viewpoint on therapy was forced on them.
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