The Great Escape While working with theWorld Bank, my passion for advocating against child trafficking remained resolute. I took the initiative to formally register my NGO, naming it “The Enslavement Prevention Alliance.” Joining me in this endeavor was my online friend Tatiana Kotlerenko. Tatiana, though born in Russia and raised in the US, had her own personal experience with human trafficking, making her a dedicated partner in our cause. We started the organization, with some initial support from theWorld Bank. A fewmonths into our NGO’s journey, we collaborated with a private spy agency and the Ghana Police to rescue several girls from the notorious Soldier Bar in Accra. These young girls, aged thirteen to fourteen, had been lured to the city with promises of a better life, only to be trapped in the horrors of prostitution. Following this successful rescue operation, we received an email from the US State Department, acknowledging The Enslavement Prevention Alliance for its significant contribution to the fight against human trafficking. Ghana’s negotiations teamwith CEO of the Conti Group in 2012 Yet Another Win: Turning Prisoners into Farmers Sitting in theWorld Bank office in Liberia, where I was coordinating a project for theWorld Bank, I received an email notification. It was an open call for project proposals on sustainable agriculture. My mind immediately conjured vivid memories of my teenage years when trucks full of prisoners were brought to work on farms in Bawku, including my father’s farm, for which they were paid at the end of the day. The idea of formalizing such a project to improve the living conditions of prisoners struck me. I quickly developed the concept and submitted it to theWorld Bank, where it was approved and shortlisted. 26 The Birthday Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==