the north: witches' camp

while in the north of ghana, near yendi, we visited a witches camp for the afternoon. this village is a safe haven where women accused of withcraft can find shelter. witchcraft accusations are very common, often arbitrarily levelled, but carry very serious consequences. every woman assembled at our meeting said that she was falsely accused, but now they all live here in exile from their families and hometowns.

the delightful, yet difficult, part of our visit was spending time with all the wonderful children who live in the village. they flocked to us, held our hands and sat in our laps, and tried to teach us Dagari, their language.

it was so hard to leave that evening. i just didnt feel right, and i think i was not alone in that sense. ive been wondering- what can i possibly do to make a differencein the lives of africans? short of monetary donations, or working at an ngo out in the bush, or doing humanitarian fundraising around the world...i have no conclusion. i feel rather more stumped by my options, or percieved lack thereof.