31 Jan Anti-trafficking organisation presents Project Ghana Art Exhibition to empower young survivors
Anti-trafficking organisation presents art exhibition to empower young survivors
Child survivors of human trafficking were given photography lessons by a charity – and the results are inspiring.
The youngsters from Ghana are working to overcome their trauma with the help of a New York-based charity called Beauty for Freedom, which is providing them with photography and art lessons.
The anti-trafficking organisation works to fight against and increase exposure of human trafficking.
One of the places where Beauty for Freedom has made a difference is Ghana, where many young children are forced into hard labour.
Beauty for Freedom (Erica Simone)
It has collaborated with Challenging Heights, a Ghanaian anti-trafficking organisation that’s on a mission to improve children’s rights in the region.
Challenging Heights gives children the tools they need to explore their creativity in order to help them overcome the hardships that they’ve endured.
“Deploying arts and art therapy is a big part of our work at Challenging Heights,” says James Kofi Annan, president of Challenging Heights and survivor of child slavery.
“Remember there is an issue of self-esteem with survivors, so this work with Beauty for Freedom helps these children to have improved self-esteem… to hope and to dream that anything is possible and that they can do it!”
Beauty for Freedom (Erica Simone)
Last summer, Beauty for Freedom and Challenging Heights organised photography, watercolour painting and mural workshops for hundreds of young people in Ghana, with the final artworks then being displayed in a community art exhibition.
“Our team witnessed some incredible effects of our workshops series with the youth of Challenging Heights,” says Monica Watkins, executive director of Beauty for Freedom.
One of the most daunting workshops to teach was the photography workshop, as the team had to teach the young participants how to use DSLR Canon Cameras, many of whom were very shy.
“We all were a bit skeptical that they would find their journalistic and creative voices in this way, but they amazed us all!” says Watkins.
Beauty for Freedom (Erica Simone)
“The kids are usually so traumatised that they have no ability to conceptualise living a better life beyond the one they endure.”
While in Ghana, Simone spent two weeks teaching photography lessons to teens at the Challenging Heights’ Friends International Academy School.
“One of our interactive photo projects was in collaboration with French artist, JR and his Inside Out Project where the kids shot portraits of their peers and teachers, which were then printed in large format and pasted onto the walls of their school,” she wrote.
“Watching kids take photographs for their first time ever is a very gratifying experience.”
Beauty for Freedom (Erica Simone)