Freedom

On a day that we normally celebrate our freedom, July 4th, we toured an old castle used for slave trading.

ironic?

There was much more irony realized once we were there.

The Cape Coast Castle was such a stronge fortress and force in Ghana.

They would hold 500+ slaves at a time for months awaiting the long journey by sea to Europe, North America and many other locations. During those few months, many of them died.

After visiting the dungeons, it is easy to see why.

The smell still lingered after 100s of years.

The light was so dim, there was little ventilation.

The atmosphere felt suffocating with even our small group in the small brick dungeons.

Our tour guide telling us about the male dungeon

The view over the castle wall in to the ocean

This door was titled the "door of no return".

after the slaves passed through this door, they were loaded on the ships to take them to be sold in another country. Most of them died on the journey. They said the conditions were worse on board than at the castle...hard to imagine.

You would think that after the years have passed, you would walk through these doors and feel liberated.

Slavery would be no more.

Instead we saw this.

You could almost hear each of us hold our breath in disbelief.

How can this country claim to be free of slavery?

Those children are the modern day slaves of fisherman.

These are the children that Touch a Life is reaching for.

complete irony.

I felt so small in our world looking at this scene.

But how many things do we turn our attention from in the US that others would see as injust?

On a day that we usually think upon our freedom... i wanted nothing more for these people.

I'm so grateful to live in our country and very humbled.

kate