Slaves to Chocolate

Slaves to Chocolate

When the subject of slavery comes up, most people think of slavery as a horrible

part of history and a thing that is in the past. We, as Americans, do not think of slavery as a

current problem. In fact slavery is thriving There are currently enslaved people all over the

world. Today, most of the victims are young because they are easier to take advantage of.

These children are forced into slaveries such as; making carpets or clothes, prostitution, and

working on cotton or cocoa plantations. This is a concept that this country relates with the past,

but it is in fact an issue that needs to be addressed. In our lectures we watched a video clip of

some young African men who had recently been liberated from slavery on a cocoa plantation.

This segment had a profound impact on me. These young men were showing the camera the

scars covering their hands and backs from the grueling labor and the frequent beatings, often

within inches of their lives. They describe their horrible working and living conditions, and tell

how little they were fed. One of the men mentioned that he had never eaten chocolate. When

the reporter asked one of the men what they would say to someone out there who is eating

chocolate, he said, "you are eating my flesh." I have thought about that every time I have seen

chocolate since. These people are enslaved in countries like the Ivory Coast, a country in which

slavery is illegal, but is still very prevalent. It is really hard to believe that there are people out

there who would have such disrespect for human life. These slaves to chocolate, are just young

boys when they begin a life of servitude. Taken from their homes, and robbed of their childhoods. Like many modern day slaves, they are chosen because they are easy to take

advantage of, they are only children. The slave holders do not believe that they are doing

anything wrong. This is something that has been going on for hundreds of years in Africa. Plus,

the countries in which these children are disappearing have people who are living in poverty.

This definitely contributes to the slave trade. If these people had more money and a higher

standard of living they would not have slaves. Poverty is the driving force of slavery in

countries like the Ivory Coast causing; the need for slaves, the accessibility of obtaining slaves,

and pushing people to the point of resorting to slavery.

The majority of victims of modern day slavery are young children. The girls

often end up as domestic workers or prostitutes, while the boys are usually sold to cocoa and

cotton plantations in countries like Gabon and the Ivory Coast (C.S.M.7). These children are

coming from poor countries like Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Togo (Robbins 1). Most of

these children are taken by abduction. In many of these small poor countries, it is very easy to

abduct the children. Many of the children are tricked into abduction. Aly Diabate is a young

boy from Africa who was recently liberated from a cocoa plantation (C.E.1). He was only

twelve when he was tricked by a slave trader to go work on a cocoa plantation in the Ivory

Coast. The man promised him one-hundred and fifty dollars and a new bicycle. Instead he was

sold to a cocoa farmer for thirty-five dollars. He was beaten regularly, and was fed mashed

banana and corn paste on good days (C.E. 1). The parents of children are often tricked as well.

Parents have been known to sell their children for as little as fourteen dollars with the promise

that their children will be educated and found jobs (C.S.M. 7). These people are living in

poverty and they are desperate. A little money and the promise of a better future

for their children goes a long way with them. Either way you look at it though, these

children have no control over their fate. They are targeted by the traffickers because they are

children. They are completely vulnerable. Children can be easily tricked, or simply taken by

force. They are the perfect victim.

Lack of money is also what fuels the trafficker to enter this line of work. They

are paid well by the plantation owners for slaves. If they could make better money doing

something other than selling children into slavery, then they would do other work. This is not an

excuse, it just explains why it is happening so much. Poverty is the driving force of slavery.

The reality is that this is a very poor part of the world, and some people will do anything to make

a buck, as sick as it may sound to me or my community. "Poverty can propel people to drastic

measures