Julianna Dogbadzi
Enslaved in a shrine in her native Ghana as a young child under a
custom known as Trokosi
-trokosi- ewe word “slave of the gods” is understood as a religious and
culture practice.
Young girls (virgins) sent to live as servant to a priest for the crime
of their relatives
-forced to work without pay, food,
clothing
- had to perform several services for the holy men
Escaped when she was 24 failed attempts when she was 23
1997-5,000 kids/woman were held in 345 shrines in southeastern Ghana
1999-Trokosi practice was banned in Ghana
Never went to school, 7 years old Juliana was took by her parents to a shrine to be enslaved. Her grandfather stole 2 dollars—he was asked to return the 2 dollars but he defended his innocence. In which the lady who saw him and she went to the shrine and cursed the family. Soon people in the family began to die her grandfather had to report to the shrine—the priest told him that in order to cease the deaths in the family they had to bring a young girl to appeal to the gods. Juliana’s sister was the pick and was sent to the shrine in Kebena yet she died soon after her arrival and because Juliana was born after her grand father’s death she was her sisters replacement.
Juliana lived and worked in the priest field, she was raped repeatedly by the priest. Her living conditions were set as no food, clothing or medical care; her and other women who lived in the same shrine had to find time after working in the field to go burn charcoal. The charcoal they seemed to burn they took into town to sell in order to have money to buy food. Some nights they had to live off of raw peppers or palm kernel nuts. An elder woman cared for Juliana because she was just a child. One day she gave words that helped change the mind set of Juliana she said " Look, little girl take care of yourself or you will die."
Juliana lived in a room with 11 people, it was twenty feet long and wide. The hut was made out of mud and you had no right to protect yourself from the sun, and the females were not allowed to wear hats. Juliana was 12 years old when she was first raped and in slavery the favoritism card is played; priest only like girls who would give in to his sexual demands. The girls who put up a fight were beaten and were known as the foolish girls, Juliana was considered a foolish girl. When she saw people with finer things come into the village she told herself that she had to get freedom, she began to escape. Her first attempt she ran away and went to her parents told them she was suffering in the shrine. Yet, her parents were afraid of the outcome thinking that the priest were going to strike them down so they returned her to the shrine. The second time she escaped she went to a near by village and stayed with a young man who took her in and fed her. Yet, this man took advantage of her and she got pregnant, the priest found out and sent men out for Juliana when they found her they brought her back to shrine. She was beaten endlessly and almost died, the father of her unborn was threatened by the priest for wanting to take care of Juliana....she hasn't seen him since then. The third time she escaped she was three months pregnant with a child that came from the rape of her priest, she starved for multiple days due to the pregnancy she knew she had to eat. She decided to go to a near by farm that was owned by the priest to tried to steal some corn but she was caught. The priest ordered the young men in the village to beat her until she fell unconscious, when she became conscious she saw all the wounds on here body and knew she had to leave or she would be killed. However, she was scared and knew she couldn't leave so she returned to the shrine. That's what she marked as her "turning point", she was about 17 at the time when she realized she had to help herself and other women trapped in the shrine.
One day, a man came from an organization called International Needs- Ghana came to the shrine to talk to the priest. Juliana knew that was her chance of escaping but she didn't right away due to her being so far long in her pregnancy, yet she gave birth a few weeks after and took her two children and escaped. She went to Adidome where International Needs- Ghana was located. At this organization she was taught many skills and was kept away from the priest. In the mist of her learning she thought that the women in the shrine needed someone to represent them ad believed it was best if she did since she was once in their place. She knew that someone needed to let the outside world in on the practices the shrine entitles and all the pain behind it, she knew that someone would be her. She's spoke on the issue and has been doing so every since, she went to some shrines and spoke to some of the inmates and told them "You need to gather courage like I did and get out."
A shrine rapes the minds of the women which places fear in them to not escape, they claim power they do not have. The practice was an attempt to subjugate women. A woman pays for a crime that a man has committed. The woman mind is a weapon that Juliana learned how to use properly and is now using that weapon to diminish the fear the women in the shrine still hold on to by telling them her story. She tries to help by talking to the priest and express the pain they seem to implant on the females. Her placement in live endangers her yet she knows if you she dies she will die for a good cause.
Enslaved in a shrine in her native Ghana as a young child under a
custom known as Trokosi
-trokosi- ewe word “slave of the gods” is understood as a religious and
culture practice.
Young girls (virgins) sent to live as servant to a priest for the crime
of their relatives
-forced to work without pay, food,
clothing
- had to perform several services for the holy men
Escaped when she was 24 failed attempts when she was 23
1997-5,000 kids/woman were held in 345 shrines in southeastern Ghana
1999-Trokosi practice was banned in Ghana
Never went to school, 7 years old Juliana was took by her parents to a shrine to be enslaved. Her grandfather stole 2 dollars—he was asked to return the 2 dollars but he defended his innocence. In which the lady who saw him and she went to the shrine and cursed the family. Soon people in the family began to die her grandfather had to report to the shrine—the priest told him that in order to cease the deaths in the family they had to bring a young girl to appeal to the gods. Juliana’s sister was the pick and was sent to the shrine in Kebena yet she died soon after her arrival and because Juliana was born after her grand father’s death she was her sisters replacement.
Juliana lived and worked in the priest field, she was raped repeatedly by the priest. Her living conditions were set as no food, clothing or medical care; her and other women who lived in the same shrine had to find time after working in the field to go burn charcoal. The charcoal they seemed to burn they took into town to sell in order to have money to buy food. Some nights they had to live off of raw peppers or palm kernel nuts. An elder woman cared for Juliana because she was just a child. One day she gave words that helped change the mind set of Juliana she said " Look, little girl take care of yourself or you will die."
Juliana lived in a room with 11 people, it was twenty feet long and wide. The hut was made out of mud and you had no right to protect yourself from the sun, and the females were not allowed to wear hats. Juliana was 12 years old when she was first raped and in slavery the favoritism card is played; priest only like girls who would give in to his sexual demands. The girls who put up a fight were beaten and were known as the foolish girls, Juliana was considered a foolish girl. When she saw people with finer things come into the village she told herself that she had to get freedom, she began to escape. Her first attempt she ran away and went to her parents told them she was suffering in the shrine. Yet, her parents were afraid of the outcome thinking that the priest were going to strike them down so they returned her to the shrine. The second time she escaped she went to a near by village and stayed with a young man who took her in and fed her. Yet, this man took advantage of her and she got pregnant, the priest found out and sent men out for Juliana when they found her they brought her back to shrine. She was beaten endlessly and almost died, the father of her unborn was threatened by the priest for wanting to take care of Juliana....she hasn't seen him since then. The third time she escaped she was three months pregnant with a child that came from the rape of her priest, she starved for multiple days due to the pregnancy she knew she had to eat. She decided to go to a near by farm that was owned by the priest to tried to steal some corn but she was caught. The priest ordered the young men in the village to beat her until she fell unconscious, when she became conscious she saw all the wounds on here body and knew she had to leave or she would be killed. However, she was scared and knew she couldn't leave so she returned to the shrine. That's what she marked as her "turning point", she was about 17 at the time when she realized she had to help herself and other women trapped in the shrine.
One day, a man came from an organization called International Needs- Ghana came to the shrine to talk to the priest. Juliana knew that was her chance of escaping but she didn't right away due to her being so far long in her pregnancy, yet she gave birth a few weeks after and took her two children and escaped. She went to Adidome where International Needs- Ghana was located. At this organization she was taught many skills and was kept away from the priest. In the mist of her learning she thought that the women in the shrine needed someone to represent them ad believed it was best if she did since she was once in their place. She knew that someone needed to let the outside world in on the practices the shrine entitles and all the pain behind it, she knew that someone would be her. She's spoke on the issue and has been doing so every since, she went to some shrines and spoke to some of the inmates and told them "You need to gather courage like I did and get out."
A shrine rapes the minds of the women which places fear in them to not escape, they claim power they do not have. The practice was an attempt to subjugate women. A woman pays for a crime that a man has committed. The woman mind is a weapon that Juliana learned how to use properly and is now using that weapon to diminish the fear the women in the shrine still hold on to by telling them her story. She tries to help by talking to the priest and express the pain they seem to implant on the females. Her placement in live endangers her yet she knows if you she dies she will die for a good cause.