Images can have such a strong impact on our minds because they can evoke various levels of emotion and we can find it hard to look away. Tom Goldner's photo exhibition,
Photo for Freedom VOLTA, is a powerful portrayal of the harsh reality of child slavery that occurs in Ghana.
Some Ghanaian children, sometimes as young as age 3, are sold by their families to work in the fishing communities along the Lake Volta region.
Ghanaian children are subjected to a form of modern day slavery. These children are forced to work up to 14 hours a day, live in poor conditions, do not have their nutritional needs met and undergo both physical and psychological abuse.
These children work either on the lake or as domestic help. What's more, these children do not have access to education and can suffer from stunted growth as well as water-borne illnesses.
This exhibition seeks to raise funds to assist "The Children's Village" in Doryumu, Ghana by providing education, housing, and medical assistance to the families in this community. This school also focuses on making vulnerable communities aware of the realities of child trafficking and what happens to their children when sold to fishermen.
When living in a developed country such as Australia it can be easy to forget that there are children and vulnerable persons in the world that are not afforded some of the benefits of education and welfare that Australian society can provide. Whether you attend this event to support vulnerable communities in Ghana or to view the dramatic images taken by Tom Goldner (or to do both), it is worth taking the time to think about vulnerable persons and how you can assist them.
Tom Goldner is an award-winning photographer that is passionate about travel and photography. Tom's exhibition is being held to support the group
Y Generation Against Poverty (YGAP). YGAP is a non-profit organisation that aims to create social changes locally and abroad. YGAP seeks to help impoverished communities become self-sustainable.
Tom's exhibition is on from 3 February to 16 February. On Friday and Saturday evenings at 6 pm the artist will share his personal experiences of Ghana and its people.
