Child Abuse in Ghana


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Many of us will celebrate Mass with African priests who come to the United States from various countries in Africa. While these priests are helping us and bring us the Sacraments, at the same time many take advantage of educational opportunities in the United States with hopes to bring this knowledge back to their home countries. Father Francis Perry Azah, a priest from the Ghanaian Diocese of Ho, recently earned his M.A. in Pastoral Counseling at Fordham University, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder in children. From his dissertation research, Father Perry offers this encapsulation of some of the issues facing Ghana as it attempts to educate all of its citizens. The situation as it is encountered now is as follows, as described by the Bureau of International Affairs:

The majority of working children are unpaid and can be found on family farms and family enterprises. While traditionally, working on the family farm was seen as a means of training for adulthood, deteriorating economic conditions have led to an increase in the number of children working on a regular basis to earn a living for themselves or supplement family income. These children either forgo an education or combine work and school….

The balance of this vital essay may be accessed at AMERICA


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