Well this was a morning I'll never forget. I got up early and went to a place that the locals have nicknamed "Sodom and Gomorrah". It is the literal slums of Accra, where somewhere between 40-80,000 people are crammed into tin roofed, smaller than my bedroom shacks. Most of us have a nicer place to park our lawnmower.
Let me show you some pictures.
The first thing I saw as we drove up:
Piles of garbage everywhere and many people were digging through these piles trying to find something they could sell.
A few kids outside their "home":
There were children everywhere, many completely naked, others running barefoot through the mud (a nice way to say dirt mixed with urine). Here's a little girl I met who is turning 4 - she's in her families home.
I spent some time at a ministry called "Lifeline" whose main purpose is helping teenage girls out of prostitution, trafficking, and poverty. The girls stay at this place for 9 months and are taught about God, they receive counseling and rehabilitation, and are taught some sort of trade (when I was there they were teaching them to sew)
Here's the whole group - I was told there is 87. Many of these girls have been raped or trafficked:
Here's where they sleep - the nets keep the mosquitoes away:
One of the girls learning to make a dress - the sewing machines had a hand crank that you turn:
Their toilets:
At Lifeline they also have a program for children. The kids come early in the morning and are taught how to read and write. Here's a few pictures of the kids - they were so fun!
And my favorite:
I'm flying out early tomorrow morning to Northern Ghana. Apparently, North Ghana is poorer than Accra. In fact I was told that many people who are living in the slums of Accra are originally from Northern Ghana and have come to the city for a better life.
Thanks for your prayers!
I don't know if I will have internet access for the next couple days, I'll have to wait and see
Kyle, the pictures are amazing, and your story is even more amazing. I am so excited at what God has in store for you. Thank you for your obedience in following Him.
ReplyDeletePraying for you, and now for Accra.
thanks Rhonda! Life changing experience for sure.
ReplyDeleteI don't have really good camera equipment so I actually rented a lens. It's been pretty sweet