0:06

I won’t sugarcoat the fact that today is not going to be a lights topic, but it is an important topic to bring attention to some abuses.

Under the guise of Witchcraft, which is still happening today.

This was not just centuries ago.

Wow, yeah.

I feel like we always kind of coat the stories we cover in, you know, old timey.

0:27

The fact that it happened a long time ago, makes it a little easier.

Swallow sometimes.

Yeah, unfortunately, it’s something that is still happening today and Ghana there have been and still exists which camps where they send?

Mostly women who have been accused of being witches.

0:43

Oh boy.

Yeah, okay.

I see, we’re going to get into it today, so it’s a little dark today, but it is important and we’re in for some facts.

Some hard cold statistics today, Hi everyone, and welcome to rituals a Spotify original from par cast.

1:11

I’m M Schultz and I’m Christine cheever every week.

We’ll explore the evolution of spiritualism and the Occult through stories practices and the impact on Modern culture.

So I know we’ve discussed witchcraft a few times here also, and that’s why I drink also in hard General friendship.

1:27

During sleepovers.

Yeah.

Whenever we can really but most of the time, the darker parts, as you were mentioning earlier, they feel more like history lessons.

Yeah.

They’re just like, super far removed or that it’s easy to just say like, oh well, that was forever ago and now we can look back on it with a with a full 20/20 hindsight.

1:44

Hmm, But unfortunately the which camps in Ghana are still happening and I feel grossed out to say that I was unaware of them until recently.

Well, I’ll join you on that side because I also so don’t know anything about them.

It’s quite a topic.

2:00

So I’m glad we’re in the know now.

So let’s crack into it.

2:15

We talked about the occult all the time, but there is a dark side to the topic.

What happens to, hmm, I guess, what bothers you most?

Is there anything that bothers you about the dark side of the occult?

And spiritualism, if I’m understanding the topic today correctly, the dark side is more just that this has been used.

2:35

Kind of like in The Witch Trials, we know about to accuse people who are maybe different or are.

I don’t know less high up in.

Alrighty.

So I wonder is that kind of the dark side?

We’re talking about?

Yeah, okay, yeah.

2:51

Well then it bothers me a lot.

Yeah.

Well, I’m not a fan.

Well, also, I mean the dark side in general.

I feel like I’m learning about the dark side so much later and life than I expected to because I think up until now the Dark Side of Witchcraft was just whatever.

3:07

Television told me and I write pretty sure that all of those tropes needs to be unpacked Yen.

Unlearned.

So now as a grownup, Up.

It’s not just like, oh there’s a evil warlock on TV.

Now it’s like oh there are which camps and Ghana.

So right, this is a real thing happening to real people.

3:25

It’s not just like made up stuff to fear Monger.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The parts that were not being addressed that should of.

So as for that I don’t totally understand the full scope of the dark side to Witchcraft as much as we talk about it because I think it’s something that it’s an ongoing lesson for me and it’s always a bummer every time and Would you look at that?

3:48

I mean, and you’re totally right there, usually women.

But whenever they’re put in a Porsche, you know, situation of society, usually, it’s more likely for them to be accused or attacked of these things and it’s just never good and over our time covering witchcraft, how often would you say it happens?

4:05

That witchcraft has been weaponized against innocent people, man.

It’s just never ending, isn’t it?

Does give us a condo percent.

Oh, I think Bond o % 0.

It doesn’t even matter what.

It’s just one of those things that you can turn so easily into fear-mongering into making someone else seemed like the other, you know, it’s just endless.

4:31

What do you think about the fact that there’s a need for activism around spiritualism and like just letting people believe what they want or leaving people alone when, you know, just because you’re accusing them of something.

Yeah, or like even kind of revamping the name of spiritualism that I feel like yeah, I said got such a bad rap for so many has a years but probably like centuries.

4:58

Yeah, no, I mean, it’s kind of weird to think about but then again, as we’ve done, you know, true crime stories for so long.

I feel like I’ve learned, there’s a need for activism and basically, every field Under the Sun.

What a good point.

Yeah, ultimately, it doesn’t surprise me but it is kind of an interesting thing too.

5:15

Think about that isn’t necessarily the, you know, first thing on my mind.

Yeah.

When you think of activism and like spiritual beliefs, they don’t usually go hand in hand.

Yeah.

Or if they do go hand-in-hand it’s never based in other religions to me.

It’s always like pro-choice or pro-life and I feel like those are like activism and spiritual beliefs and that’s where they meet and that’s kind of it.

5:36

I don’t ever think of it in terms of like a revamping, like you said of other belief systems and giving them, you know, the space that they’ve always needed to be understood.

Just space?

Yes, yes.

So anyway, I think unfortunately, it is still necessary, which it shouldn’t have to be.

5:54

But here we are.

Well, I will say even though I let on pretty quickly, that this is a heavier topic.

Hmm.

There is some good news at the end of the episode.

So, well thank God.

Just to bring a little levity to the darkness of all this, okay?

6:10

So let’s talk about the which camps of Ghana and let’s all learn together.

So, So the West African country of Ghana is a pretty religious country, a little over 10 years ago, almost the entire population was actively involved in some sort of world religion.

6:25

I think it was 96 percent.

Whoa, with more than half of them being Christian.

Okay.

Okay.

But there’s also a widespread belief in witchcraft.

Aha.

And also if more than half of the country’s Christian feel like the more Christian you are the more likely you are to also believe in the Devils doing or the devil’s right?

6:44

We got pleco hand.

And yeah, so I think if more than half the area was Christian witchcraft was something to be afraid of.

So, make sense, a researcher on this topic found that the problem with Ghana’s belief in witchcraft is that there really isn’t an exact definition of what witchcraft is, which lets dangerous.

7:04

That’s a very Insidious problem.

Yes, we’re basically Believers can agree.

And by Believers, I mean, mainly Christian Believers but if your Religious at all.

Witchcraft can just mean any version of causing harm for the most part, mmm.

7:22

So in many African cultures, someone who interacts with spirits and that’s it is considered a witch or Wizard and as someone who uses their powers for evil, oh, so just any version of spirituality scares the masses or scares the people who don’t believe in that kind of stuff.

7:39

Sure.

Which I feel like that’s pretty worldwide.

I feel like if you yeah, Like, oh, I’m talking to ghosts or I am participating in something that you don’t understand how quickly does everyone gets scared of that, you know.

Yeah.

And I think there’s definitely in religious groups especially are our traditional religious groups.

7:58

There’s definitely a built-in kind of fear of that or a belief that it’s a dark - thing.

Yeah so there’s been the existence of spiritual healers for a long time.

They’re also the British coin term for them is Witch Doctors sure.

8:14

And there used to Help with solving problems, supporting relationships and even for General Health.

But like I said, there’s also this cloud of negative perception that lingers over any spiritual craft and it’s led to dangerous actions including killings as we know because this is not the first time unfortunately that witch trials in some version have not existed.

8:37

She’s so one professor of Sociology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

He said this quote That witchcraft is in people’s minds of someone loses.

A job westerners assume that it’s due to economic conditions, or poor performance and an African is likely to save that someone used witchcraft to make or confuse an employer to hate and Sack the person concerned.

9:00

So, basically, it’s all about perspective and where you grew up, right roulette bringing in, I appreciate that Outlook of it of that witchcraft is whatever you make.

It, it’s just the opposite of what you are probably inclined to follow is what it sounds like, right?

Or it’s just part of your everyday.

A I know there’s other cultures that are not, you know, the United States where they might be more open to it, they might be more close-minded to it.

9:22

So it’s just kind of whatever you make it.

That’s the strong presence of Witchcraft that same Professor also said that Africa’s belief in witchcraft is meant to keep order in society.

So for some women in Ghana, if they don’t conform to what Society expects from them than they must be a well that sounds familiar to and as far as history goes yeah I certainly don’t want to dilute the Issue here that’s happening in Ghana, but this does seem to be a weirdly Universal experience.

9:51

Just based on history with witchcraft and feels like everywhere.

You look, someone’s had a problem with it and there is no persecution.

Yep.

Yes, it an expert in development sociology, at the University of Ghana believes that witchcraft is used to explain and cope with Misfortune where there isn’t a clearer rational explanation, which doesn’t totally surprised me because I feel like even to the State, I’ll use spiritualism or parts of spirituality to explain why things didn’t go the right way, you know.

10:22

So I mean I’ve even said I thought we had been cursed and a very real way not, you know, being yeah, facetious but like truly.

Yeah, I can definitely see how that would be, you know, something pervasive culture.

And we’ve seen this like we just said throughout many different cultures blaming the unexplainable on the supernatural.

10:39

So we have to remember now that spiritualism often thrives in some of the most underserved and Harvest regions.

And if we’ve learned anything on the show, it’s that throughout history.

Those targeted for witchcraft, are typically.

Women going through a rough time.

10:55

So whether they’re widowed or live below the poverty line, if they can’t have children or, you know, just if they are on the outskirts of what Society expects for them are in, especially in some of the impoverished communities of Ghana, that’s no exception, right?

11:12

And when someone’s Accused, at least in Ghana there, Our options for that person’s, quote Rehabilitation yikes.

Okay.

So like they think that oh, you’re widowed and so now you need rehab because you’re rich, just so we’re clear on what’s Happening.

11:28

And when someone’s accused Ghana has options for that person’s Rehabilitation, which is usually handled by local religious organizations.

And according to tradition, one can be absolved through confession or cleansing ceremonies, they can go to church, they can accept Jesus as their savior.

11:45

And if they do all these things and are then again believed to be a witch or that they betrayed their promise to, you know, their Newfound ways they’re killed.

Oh, so this reminds me of, we just covered the King James episode and he came up with this law that was after he even died.

12:04

Where if you’re accused of Witchcraft twice you’re dead.

Yeah.

Right.

You got one chance you get one chance to prove that we were wrong and on the second one if you’re Accused at all again we’re going to A planet that you made the good point during that episode of like, well, if you’re accused once of this, by people, who clearly don’t like you, what are the odds?

12:22

They’re going to change their mind and say never mind.

Yeah, orthotic already primed to think that way of you, so it’s easier to kiss you again, right?

So Ghana seems to have a similar rolling of you, get one chance to convert to Christianity and if you don’t on the second try, you’ll be put to death.

12:40

But here’s the even worst part is sadly, some don’t even get the opportunity for This rehabilitation in the first place.

The killing of accused witches is common in parts of Ghana and can happen so quickly that it leaves no time for any kind of Investigation.

12:55

Oh, that is dark.

Thank your which they can just they could just put you to death take care of and in Northern Ghana that’s where you’ll find which camps where some of the accused are sent and sometimes they even run to these which camps themselves and their to be kept at a safe distance.

13:11

From everyone else.

All these witches are put somewhere else just just to not be near Society coming up now that you know where the witch camps are, let’s talk more about what they are and how they came to be.

13:28

Yeah, this is something I don’t know much about and feel like I definitely need to be educated on.

13:42

It’s depressing news, but it’s not any sort of ground breaking news that vulnerable women.

Take the majority of the blame for being witches.

Haha.

Yes, I could probably agree with you on that front.

Kick them while they’re down.

Hmm, their women to begin with and also already down the system’s already against them and nothing’s looking good.

14:04

So if they don’t fit in might as well blame for witchcraft, just for fun.

If they don’t meet societal expectations.

Like I said if their widows or on Married or they can’t have kids.

Again, especially in impoverished areas.

Accusations are much more likely.

So, so scary just list all the ways that the system is against you and the more reasons you have the worst chance you have, I guess of Witchcraft being weaponized against you.

14:30

And in Northern Ghana in Africa, women can often be sent to which camps and some, like I mentioned earlier even fully there after being accused, and it’s speculated that this is too.

Be accommodating to the people who accuse them to avoid an even more deadly outcome.

14:46

God.

It’s so, it’s sort of like, oh, I’ll just go straight to this Camp so you don’t, you know, take further action on me.

Okay, yeah, don’t hurt me, I will totally comply with your ization, which is like, what a trap anyway because they’re basically confessing to Witchcraft if they’re saying like I have to go to this camp but it’s just a way to get out of being killed.

15:09

You’re giving in right and it’s sort of like Are signing away, any sort of belief that you could be innocent of this just yeah agreeing to go but you’re also sparing your life.

It’s like it would feel like we see this.

So often with these kind of Witchcraft accusations like it’s a lose-lose.

15:28

It’s all is this your now coming across as complicit and your accusation.

So Ghana is the only country in the world with the camps, which I’m not kidding you as of a year ago, as of May 2012. 21.

There were reported to still be almost 500 women and over 40.

15:47

Men house in which camps.

Wow.

Okay.

Wow.

So very recent burials happening and it’s believed that the numbers at one point have reached nearly 1,000 in the past.

So for it to be around 550 right now.

I guess that’s better.

But yeah, not many of the accusations come from their relatives just to make it even.

16:08

Push many are accused of killing their This or their family members and that makes them a wedge.

So not only are they being accused of Witchcraft are also being accused of murder of homicide, the witchcrafts of thing that’s going to get you in the biggest amount of trouble.

16:24

So when they’re being accused of killing their husbands or killing their family members, the main reason for that is because these women are being accused of wanting to take their husbands possessions.

So, either that’s money or heirlooms or property and the women are in a position, In with little social protections or anyone to support them.

16:45

There’s also the belief that a woman doesn’t fully contribute financially to the households, that’s a huge factor, for why they would want to take over some of their husband’s belongings or why they’re just wrong in general and should be accused of Witchcraft, like, oh well, they don’t contribute enough to the family.

17:01

So they must be a witch.

This is just infuriating obviously, but they’re not having enough children.

They’re not being a dutiful wife.

Oh, there are widowed.

They also aren’t contributing financially.

It’s like, what do?

It’s right by the way, every single one of those is such a crisis that was already existing within them.

17:19

Like you’re not blaming them for something that wasn’t already a tragedy to them but like let’s say they just lost their husband.

The person they love, just had a heart attack on the floor, next to them and now the entire town saying, you’re a witch and you just wanted to take his money so like on top of your own grieving process.

17:35

Now you’re worried that you might be put to death or sent away or like oh you can’t have children.

I’ve Ever fertility thing is horrifying to like, right?

If somebody I mean presuming they want to have a child and they are unable or they haven’t made that happen.

17:51

The fact that now you are a witch because of that.

Uh-huh.

It just piling on.

Well, we’ll talk about this in a little bit too, but it makes sense.

Why either, you know, it might be someone who’s experiencing infertility or maybe you just didn’t want to have kids, right?

18:09

And that’s a different thing that’s like and that on Own is an outlier to societal expectation, right?

Exact like oh you want to be independent and you don’t believe in the family structure?

You must be a witch.

That’s nearest married, whatever have you?

Yeah, yeah.

It’s just on top of being accused of Witchcraft.

18:26

It feels like it’s usually paired with a huge crisis, they were already dealing with and now you’re just adding salt to the wound.

One example of someone who was sent away for witchcraft, was Vivian solemn Otto who lived in one of these camps and talk to reporters about her experience.

18:44

Whoa.

And she said she was sent there out of greed from her family because her nephew died and the in-laws wanted the livestock and money that her nephew had left behind.

And so they accused her of practicing witchcraft to get her out of the picture.

So they can have on the, on which reminds me so much of the stories we’ve covered on.

19:05

And that’s why we drink at least of men sending their wives to Mental Hospitals for the rest of Their life just because he wanted to sleep with somebody else and he just needed her out of the picture.

He wanted to move on and needed them out of the picture that happens.

So frequently with some of those older quote-unquote asylums.

19:23

Yeah, we’re yeah.

The list of things that could get sent.

There was like womanly, problems, aqua, and like even less than that.

I think there was one time we saw that like a headache or like, I mean something that everyone experiences at least once including the people who send their wives.

19:41

Their I’m sure.

Got a headache.

It’s like undo anger, like just excessive hunger or sleeping or like depression or anxiety or like anything could have had them sent there for life.

And if a husband just wanted to be done with the family, instead of having to look bad for divorcing his wife, he could be like, oh well, she was mentally ill, it wantonly problems, you know, womanly problems.

20:04

And so people just like Vivian, had a deal with this too when it came to the which camps where they were, just kicked out of the family to be one less.

Hurdle to deal with when it came to having to collect property or money or whatever it is in 2008.

There was a survey done by actionaid that said in one Camp More than 70% of women had been accused after their husbands died.

20:29

Oh my gosh.

So that’s basically a camp full of women grieving together as well as that’s just more than one reason now for more than one reason and that same survey confirmed what we just mentioned which was that nearly a third of them were not contributing financially so they were seen as useless to the community yikes.

20:51

So basically the whole town was like well your husband is gone and now you offer no value to it’s not right?

What’s the point of you being here?

Exactly.

So we lose Nothing by you being sent somewhere else but vulnerable women aren’t the only targets.

I just mentioned this that outspoken women who maybe didn’t want to have kids, maybe women who didn’t want to get married, maybe you know, God forbid a homosexual.

21:14

I imagine, I don’t know, but any outspoken women who didn’t fit into the confines of, you know, social structure.

They were also accused of being a witch and women living with mental health disorders, was another one.

I mean, just if you were part of a vulnerable group, you were seen as evil or useless.

21:34

And for both reasons, you could be a witch, which just wild one doctor who works at the Ghana Health Service, and a local psychiatric.

Hospital said they are usually of the people sent to these which camps or accused of Witchcraft of those with mental health disorders.

21:50

It is usually clinical depression schizophrenia or dementia.

That’s so sad.

I mean that’s again like the dementia one gets me in particular because if you’re already forgetful and scared and don’t know where you are and now you’re just in a camp full of people who aren’t your family and I mean, I just can’t imagine no it’s tragic and it’s just again.

22:12

I mean, I know if covers a million times but just it’s not even just a lack of Mental Health Resources.

It’s like harming people with mental health disorders and issues.

It’s just scary.

So now that I’ve caught you up on, maybe what they are, you might be wondering, what are these camps?

22:32

Like that these NS that women and men by the way because there are over 40 men in them.

Currently.

Hmm.

What are they like to have to live in?

So if you were an accused witch and found, Cell phone, one of these camps.

You’d find yourself living in a rural mud hut with a thatched roof.

There is limited access to food and water, water was, at least three miles away.

22:52

And you would have to walk to go get it.

So, your basic survival needs are barely being met if at all, especially if you’re either older or in some way unable to make a track like that, you know, that’s, I can’t even imagine like how little accessibility there is.

23:11

Yeah, sure.

Also, this is I would like to take this moment to say, remember you mentioning.

Oh, I can’t imagine having to do that if you were older.

So yeah, on top of all this, you virtually had no help from the government.

There was limited basic Healthcare, No, Education Services, no basic health care, no education services and not to mention.

23:31

There was no real path to getting legal support to falsify these accusations or get yourself out of the camp.

You’re just stuck there and the It’s don’t look necessarily like prisons, but there are guards keeping you in and not letting you leave.

23:47

So you are still in prison.

So it doesn’t have to look like a prison to be a prison as sure.

I’m sure.

So in 2021 which again only a year ago, The sanae Institute did a research study that found that between the five which camps left in the country.

24:03

The exact numbers are that there were 498 women which might as well be 541 men and they are all between In the ages of mid-50s to late 70s.

So when you mentioned earlier, I can’t imagine having to, you know, walk miles to get water if I were older, right?

24:22

The youngest is in their mid 50s.

That is so interesting.

Okay.

By the way, I don’t know if you could guess this but they’re being abused and every fashion, they’re being financially, exploited by those that originally accuse them.

They’re also being forced to do physical labor without pay people in their late 70s.

24:41

Every Day.

So it almost all the camps that were priest performing rituals to confirm who was a real witch and then performing exorcisms on the ones they thought were witches to rid them of their which Powers oh my which by the way, very interesting.

24:58

Some of these priests openly admit that they believe most of the people in here are falsely accused.

So the fact that they’re doing all of these rituals on people, whether or not they’re witches is Weird.

Also it’s odd semi that priests were able to openly say something that controversial of like oh most of the people in which camps are not actually witches.

25:21

I feel like that could so quickly land you in a which Camp only you don’t.

I mean I feel like seems like the one thing you’re not supposed to say.

Yeah.

So like say like oh you know these people are perfectly fine even though Society has deemed them evil and I feel like if you’re a priest saying that you could very quickly get Ambassadors.

25:43

Like you’re on church and Christian Pro, which, you know, which God forbid even though you and I are very Pro which very Pro, which it was just weird that they’re able to get away with saying things like yeah, and a huge consequence to these fake accusations.

26:00

By the way, is homelessness.

So and a 20-18 human rights report.

The US state department said, thousands of women, and children in Northern Ghana have been left with nowhere to live after being accused of witchcraft.

Aft, that’s really, really tragic.

Which reminds me, similarly, two issues that at least we see here with people who were incarcerated now, trying to find housing, trying to find jobs, and it’s just once, you’re, you know, given a label that intense, it’s really hard to uphill battle exactly that.

26:33

Same 2018 report said that there were six which camps and right now there’s five.

So, within the last few years, one of them has been shut down, which is that’s good.

Is nice.

But in that 2018 report when there were six which camps there were 2,000 to 2,500 women and 1,000 to 1,200 children and them and that’s a huge difference from 2021 where there was only 500 women and 40 men.

26:59

Yeah and you know you mentioned that the 498 women in 50 men or whatever we’re all between their 50s and 70s.

So I guess there are hopefully no more children in these as it sounds like maybe the one which camp that.

Close down was the one that had all the kids in it.

I don’t know.

27:15

Yeah and better news that same 2021 report from The sanae Institute reported that two of the camps.

Like I said we’re shut down in 2014 and 2019 okay?

So as of 2014, there were seven camps as a 20-19, there were six camps and now there are five camps.

27:31

Okay, get in there, we’re getting there were getting there.

Coming up, I do have some good news on what’s currently being done to bring an end to these camps.

So we should move from 726 2520.

28:01

All right.

Christine, what is being done?

Very excited to talk.

This is the one part.

I’m happy to discuss when it comes to this topic.

So there have been serious calls for churches and mosques to speak out against the camps with big public campaigns mainly from the executive director of The sanae Institute that I mentioned earlier.

28:20

And he called on the national commission for civic education to pull together as many organizations as they could to partner on that campaign and use existing laws to expose their harmful cultural practices.

End violence against women.

Okay, I’m on board.

Let’s do it.

And he also wants Parliament to pass a law against witchcraft accusations in Ghana and create a legal framework to prosecute offenders and find Justice for victims.

28:45

That is a step I hadn’t thought of, of Prosecuting, those or at least, you know, kind of calling out or doing something, making it an offence to actually accuse someone of this rather than making it like a just a harmless.

One and done thing, I hadn’t thought about that either, which is so well because Cuz we’ve talked about Witch, Trials enough and our lifetime, but between you and me, but the fact that that’s never come across my mind.

29:09

I think I’m just so used to history telling me, they’re like, oh, you just get away with that.

And so you just say it and it didn’t even everybody else steps in.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Didn’t even occur to me that they could also be accused of like putting someone in danger like prosecuted in some way.

Yeah, I guess endangerment might be the first step of being like, yeah, you’ve literally.

29:29

Are you knew what was going to happen?

You know, and on top of that, even further the same executive director is trying to find a way to successfully integrate victims back into their communities.

That’s what I was afraid of it because we’re talking about these camps shutting down and these children not being in camps anymore.

But then the results of that statistic about homelessness and I’m thinking well, you know there has to be a solution on the other side on the other end.

29:51

But almost becomes a situation where it’s like, they might not that they would prefer to live in the which cams, but they might have nowhere else to go.

So it’s right, feels like more of a confidence.

Sir or instilling hope that, hey, you don’t have to be stuck here or pick the streets and that’s it, you know, right in 2005 actionaid Ghana, which is a branch of an international nonprofit focused on fighting poverty and Injustice.

30:14

They put together a group of organizations to help provide basic services, including helping educate, and improve women’s self confidence and teaching them about their rights.

So, they’re just doing it all.

And then in four years later, in June, 2009 actionaid, put together a network, Of alleged, which has to give a voice to be accused.

30:34

So interesting.

I love that idea, seriously.

I hope it’s going well for them because it sounds like it’s such a necessary part of this to have people with the lived experience be able to one meet each other, be able to network with each other and help each other out.

30:50

But also teach the rest of the community like this is what’s going on.

These are sort of things been like, that’s fascinating, that’s such a great idea, especially when it comes to Future policymaking they can say like this is what I needed to feel protected or how to get out.

31:07

Yeah.

And the goal is with the sanae Institute, it was to get them out of the camps and safely reintegrated into society, which is a complex process for many of the women.

Because, I mean, can you imagine getting accused by your town?

And now you’re just going to go back to that town like nothing happened or, you know, enough to go to Holiday dinners with the family that accused you of Witchcraft or so.

31:31

Heat.

So it is a super complex process to for them to be reintegrated into society because many of them don’t want to face their family and Community is after being accused of Witchcraft and not just the people who directly accuse them.

But they’re now in a space where they have this reputation and they now have to face the trauma from the stigma of being an alleged which and just hoping that they can skate through life.

31:56

Yeah.

And also that’s why I also really like the idea of that network of Aged witches.

Because if you don’t feel safe in a certain area, maybe someone else knows of a place that’s safe for you to move back to or yes.

I love the use of the word network.

Like it just sounds like a much more supportive phrase than just like a list.

32:15

Like it’s just a network with people.

You could maybe reach out to buy.

Also imagine if you’ve been in a witch camp for long enough, they become your family anyway so it’s a nice way to.

I would imagine stay in touch or be able to still find each other if you need another person, Send in your life and I don’t know, I haven’t gone through it but as an outsider it sounds like it’s a good thing, action, AIDS, 2008, survey found that 40% of women who went back home from their camps, ended up back in them after getting accused again.

32:48

Oh my goodness.

Yeah, I didn’t know how to bring that one in but I mean, how horrible is that?

The like you had to go through all this and now it’s happening a second time.

Oh my goodness.

Talk about lose-lose.

He’s and the Presbyterian Church also has a campaign called The Go Home Project.

33:06

That’s helped over 1,000 women returned home since 1994 so that’s good.

That’s at least helpful and currently actionaid and the go home Project work together to at least improve conditions in the camps.

So if you have to be a star, yeah, I guess it’s helpful to like, will surely bring issues inside the camp, the very least, make sure that there’s drinking water and people are, you know, not sure, not me.

33:31

Forced into labor at 70 years old, that’s scary.

But at least those things are happening.

And it sounds like it’s working because some of these surveys happened in the early 2000’s.

And since then, at least two more camps have shut down completely.

33:46

And now there’s great only five left as of a year ago, hopefully next year, it’s for or nuns here.

So, yeah, but wow.

Those are the which camps are gone.

I’m sorry, I was a dark topic, but it is an important topic, especially Actually for two people who talk about witchcraft so often.

34:03

So absolutely it’s definitely an important topic and you know I’m almost like ashamed.

I didn’t know about it.

I mean it’s scary that it’s still, you know, prevalent I guess another good step is learning and teaching people about it and you know, getting the information out there because how else would you know, this was going on.

34:23

I feel like I don’t need to ask for your official, take away, but I can probably guess for both of us that it’s awful that it exists to this day because it really does.

Usually feel so removed.

When we talk about any version of witch trials are which persecution, and the fact that it’s still happening, it’s just really nice to know that there are efforts to have it handled.

34:42

Yes.

Thankfully, because it really does feel like an echo of so many stories we’ve already told, but, you know, modern one.

So, yeah, yeah.

Let’s let’s get those shut down.

Hopefully it is the last of its kind.

And we don’t have to worry about this any longer we can hope Thanks so much for listening.

35:10

We’ll be back next week with another great episode.

Information.

On today’s episode came from Global sisters report, witchcraft in violence and Ghana and assessment by Shayla roxburgh actionaid.

The sanae Institute the BBC and the u.s.

Department of State Office of international religious freedom.

35:26

Remember to follow rituals on Spotify to get a brand new episode every week and you can listen to this and other episodes of rituals for free exclusively on Spotify.

And if you liked this show, follow at Park.

On Facebook and Instagram and at podcast Network on Twitter, you can find me at VM Schultz and you can find me a text and Schieffer.

35:45

Thanks again for listening.

We’ll see you next week.

Rituals is executive produced by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from par cast.

It was created by Max color, sound design by Kristen Acevedo with associate sound design by Kevin McAlpine fact-checking by Cheyenne Lopez research by Chelsea would it’s produced by Chris and Acevedo and Jonathan Ratliff with production assistants by Bye.

36:07

Ron Shapiro.

We are your host.

Christine Schieffer, and M Schultz