Female Ritual Servitude The Trokosis in Ghana by Wisdom Yaw Mensah and Francis Ebenezer Godwyll is the first book read in EDCS 205. After reading this book it brought to my attention the major differences in cultures of the non-Western world versus a more Westernized society. As I was reading I wondered what accommodations I would have to make in order to live in this type of society. This book made me feel very grateful for the privileges I have today as an American citizen and student.
I understand that our culture as American’s and that of a non-Western country differs greatly; however, I found the Trokosis hard to accept even though it was apart of their culture. The idea of sending their virgin daughters to these places because of the acts done by someone else is completely unfair. Why should they have to suffer because of the wrongdoings of another family member? I was pleased to read that there are several relief agencies helping the people of Ghana and providing rehabilitation and counseling to the women and families affected by Trokosis. As a future teacher I am immediately drawn to the educational portion of the emancipation of the Trokosi girls. I admire the people that help these women and their children. Teaching in a culture that is completely different than my own would be one of the biggest challenges to face. I think teaching the Trokosi women trades that they can use to make a living a great idea by ING. These women need to be able to sustain themselves and their children that have been abused for so many years. ING also supplies them with the tools needed in order to implement their chosen vocation upon graduation, which I believe is a very effective way of assuring their survival after Trokosis. As for the Trokosi children, I questioned whether or not it was effective to mainstream them into basic schools. I believe they should be exposed to a culture that is safer than what they have previously known but I wonder if this exposure to a new environment is too much at first. Will the children obtain some sort of grief counseling while in these basic schools? I think it is just as important to educate the children as they have with the women when “dealing with the psychosocial, emotional and vocational needs and traumatic past of the…Trokosi women” (Mensah and Godwyll, 58).
The most amazing part of the Trokosi women’s emancipation was the emphasis that ING and other relief helpers placed upon it. I thought it was sympathetic to the culture to trade livestock for women, lifting the fears of the curse off of their families. If they would have merely said the women were free then the people still may worry that they had curses upon their families. I also liked that they made the emancipation public by broadcasting it through the media, making it harder for the priests to go back to their old habits. Also providing the sustainability programs for the women and their children really demonstrates how much ING cares about their freedom.
As an American college student reading this book I think about how grateful I am to have all of the resources that I need. I cannot imagine my family sending me to be a sex slaves for the crimes of someone else in my family. These women gave up their freedom in order to break a curse for their family. I think as a student in a Western culture, I never realize how good I really have it until I read something like this story. These ideas and beliefs seem so inhumane to me, I wonder why the people had not fought against these ideas sooner. I am forever thankful to live in a free society where I can make my own decisions and choices. As a teacher in the Western world, I know I will deal with many disheartening situations, but none as severe as the Trokosi survivors. I would be nervous to teach and help a Trokosi child or woman because the amount of trauma they have endured is so great. I am not sure I would be able to provide the resources they need in order to overcome the experiences they have been through.
One of the main lessons I have learned from reading this book would be to respect other cultures. Although I do not agree with the Trokosi practices and what the families made their virgin girls do, I must understand that what they did was the best solution for their situation. They obviously did not have the resources or belief system to do what I think would have been the right thing to do. If I have students in my classroom that are from different cultures I must respect and make an effort to understand what they believe. This will help me create a harmonious classroom and further educate one of my students effectively.
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