Ghana

Adidome Modular Training for Trokosi Women

Who are we working with?

Oaktree worked with International Needs Ghana to support the Adidome Modular Training Program. This aims to meet the unique needs of the Trokosi women.

Where are we working?

Trokosi women are found among the Ewe people in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The practice is linked to traditional religious beliefs involving the surrender of virgin girls as ‘reparations for the ‘crimes’ or wrong-doing of family members. It is believed that until a virgin from the offending family is sent to a shrine to atone, deaths in the family will persist. The girls dwell in the shrine for a number of years, in some cases for life. The practice of Trokosi is linked to traditional West African tribal beliefs involving the enslavement of young women to atone for the wrong-doings of family members. The women are subjected to imprisonment, physical, sexual and psychological abuse. International NGO estimates put the number of women as high as 5000 in the early 1990s. Systematic attempts to change the practice have until recently been confined to Ghana.

Although Ghana is relatively prosperous and stable by West African standards, Trokosi women face unique challenges. Stigma means most women cannot return to their original families or communities and accompanying support structures. Denied an education, possessing few marketable skills, and often responsible for supporting multiple children, Trokosi women are among the most marginalized groups in Ghana.

What are we doing?

Oaktree’s partner International Needs Ghana (ING) has worked over the last decade to facilitate the release of 3500 Trokosi women. Their release has brought with it the challenge of re-integration into normal societal life and rehabilitation. ING provides all the ex-Trokosis with psychosocial and emotional counselling to deal with their traumatic experiences. ING also established a vocational training centre at Adidome in the Volta region to provide vocational skill training in batik, tie and dye making, soap, powder and beauty cream, bread and confectionary making, fruit juice manufacture. Training is also provided in basic business skills, marketing and entrepreneurial skills development coupled with access to ING microfinance programs providing additional training in regard to loan management. Young girls who are liberated are mainstreamed into formal education. Aware of the danger of these women developing a dependency on ING, training is coupled with coupled with start-up packages to launch and establish micro-enterprise activities or find employment; while further support is provided through the creation of self-help networks and access to the ING funded micro-finance facility.

What is Oaktree’s role?

The Adidome vocational training centre is a major project with many supporters. Oaktree was involved in financially supporting the training centre through a one-off commitment of $25 000. Oaktree has also promoted awareness of Trokosi and facilitated further fundraising by filming a documentary in Ghana on the Trokosi issue, used in an advocacy campaign around Australia.