Modern Forms of Slavery in Kenya Causes, Experiences And Mission Responses
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Date
2016
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Everything that exists in this world owes its beginning to the supernatural Creator. This is a common understanding especially for all those who are creationists. One of the most rationally and beautifully created creatures is the human being. I look at myself, my fellow humans and see wonderful, sophiscated yet complex and complicated race of humanity. Among all other creatures, it is only humans that can understand each other through communication in various languages. They are the only ones to know and understand spirituality, social life, politics, technological inventions, and education, religious and scientific aspects. Despite all these nicely said characteristics proper to us as humans, there flows and follows another litany of evil, almost unspeakable and unthinkable things that humans have caused, practiced and done to the detriment of other human beings: Slavery, murder, theft, pollution, corruption, use of human parts as experimental species, exploitation and injustices.
Blood is thicker than water, our ancestors said. This means that those people related should consider each other as people of one family and ought to live a good life together, protect, love, understand, cooperate and collaborate in doing and promoting peace and tranquility. But these vices and evils that emanate from being in such relationships leave a series of questions flowing in the minds of people: What has become of humanity? Out of the many evils in the world I would like to research and present modern-day slavery.
We all claim to have one common origin, that is, from God our Creator. Regardless of our race, color, continent, development-wise and geographical placement, a big question remains: Why should one treat the other in such a disinterested and indifferent altitude to the extent of treating them as animals, without dignity? I mean the use of human beings as means to attain some malicious benefits. History repeats itself and what goes around comes around! Slavery was abolished many, many years ago but we still have practices that suggest that people are still slaves up-to-date. In this extended essay, I would like to dig deep into this element of inhuman practice and come up with the aspects that leave our fellow men, women, and children in the bondage of present-day slavery, knowingly or unknowingly, deliberately or ignorantly.
I would like to start by presenting the ancient slavery in the first chapter. Here I will give definitions, Atlantic and Arab slave trades, biblical foundations, reasons, status and conditions of slavery, East African Slavery, effects and impacts, and finally slavery and slave trade abolition. The second chapter will talk about the present-day slavery and its challenges: Child slavery, early and forced marriages, forced labor, human trafficking and ‘unforgiving hearts’. The last chapter will be the way forward, the response to this modern-day slavery, how best to address and fight against these human malpractices.
The methodology and approach will be mainly reading of books and other literature. My personal experiences and encounters will be presented as well. I took some time to talk to various people especially, a Police officer about the practice of child labour in Nairobi County. The underlying purpose of this long essay is really to bring to our people the awareness of, and presence of the practice of slavery, both directly and indirectly in our midst. Once the people are aware and informed, only then can we fight against it, help to rescue the victims and continue to promote the dignity, equity and equality of all people. The most appealing call for us today’s prophets and missionaries is, that of being transformative agents, who can bring about renewed independence, freedom, liberation, restore hope to men, women and children who continue to be mistreated, misused, abused, and humiliated through various acts of slavery.
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Slavery, Kenya, Arab Slave Trade, Ancient slavery