brigitte sossou perenyi was one of those girls, until she was adopted and taken to the us. erstand what trokosi really is and why her family gave her away. this is gala, west africa. when i was seven, i was brought here from neighbouring togo and held in a shrine as part of a pack trokosi. do you know why you are here? this is me in1997, i you know why you are here? this is me in 1997, i was filled by an american tv crew at the place i was being held. iwas american tv crew at the place i was being held. i was labelled a trokosi 01’ being held. i was labelled a trokosi or wife of the gods, paying for crime committed my uncle. but this support changed everything. an american viewerflew support changed everything. an american viewer flew to ghana to negotiate my release and he adopted me. now that i am older, ifeel ready to explore the cultural background of trokosi. trokosi was made illegal in 1998, year after was freed, but no priest had ever been prosecuted. i met this young 14—year—old girl who is serving as a trokosi. i felt ifelt sad. she i felt sad. she came ifelt sad. s

my name is brigitte sossou perenyi. i live and work in accra, the capital city of ghana. it is the city where i feel most free. but my first memories in this country are among my darkest. i was trafficked here from my home in neighbouring togo, and held in captivity as part of a practice called trokosi. trokosi is illegal, and it is not often talked about in accra. but to my surprise, richard tells me his own grandmother is living as a trokosi. this same system robbed me of my childhood. 20 years later, i am on a journey to understand what really happened. i was told i had to leave home, to go and live with my uncle. i was placed on the back of a motorbike. i didn't even know the driver. i thought it was the strong wind causing my tears, but i think i was actually crying, because i was being taken away from my family. and then i was left at a place i had never been before. i didn't even understand the language. they took away my clothes and wrapped me in a purple cloth. they even took away my name. how old is this girl? seven years old? do you know why you are here? in 19

brigitte sossou perenyi was one of those girls, until she was adopted and moved to the us. neighbouring country and had an eight shrine as part of a practice called trokosi. this is me. in 1997, i was filmed by an american tv crew at the place i was being held. i was labelled a trokosi, or a wife of the gods. paying for a crime committed by my uncle. but this report changed everything. an american viewer flew to ghana to negotiate my release, and he adopted me. now that i am older, ifeel and he adopted me. now that i am older, i feel ready to explore the cultural background of trokosi. it is practised in parts of ghana, togo, by various ethnic groups, one of which is... when i left the shrine there are about 5000 trokosi women in children in darlington alone —— in ghana alone. it was made illegal in 19 98 —— a year after i was freed. i met this girl who is serving as a trokosi. i felt ifelt sad. she i felt sad. she came ifelt sad. she came here i felt sad. she came here two years ago at the age of 12. and so she misses her mum. i don't see how we can justify that. it was tim