By Mary Malloy
Special guest Eric Peasah, of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ghana, a relief agency that has rescued more than 600 enslaved children, flew into New York, where he met with the members of One Is Greater Than None at the festival. The charity had already helped Peasah save eight children, and plans to sponsor a rescue mission to save 25 more.
Kayla Barnofsky, Chelsea Genden, Hayley and Jessica Feldman, Sammi Malis, Anjelica Mantikas, Ariel Stern and Sammy Walnick - all Merrick residents, with the exception of Genden, who lives in Lynbrook - founded One Is Greater Than None a year and a half ago. The girls wanted to make a difference in someone's life, but they didn't know how - until they saw "The Little Boy Oprah Couldn't Forget" on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The segment featured African children, some as young as 4, being sold into servitude by their families, some for as little as $20. The boys and girls work for fishermen, who send them under their boats with large nets.
"It can be dangerous work," said Peasah. "And the negotiations can be dangerous, too, because this is [the fishermen's] livelihood we are talking about, and they do not want to give up these children."
Peasah explained that in many cases, parents are deceived into believing that their children will have better lives. "Go with this man," Peasah said the children are told by their parents. "He will help you." He said he has rescued children ranging in age from 4 to 14. The negotiations can take as long as three years, because Peasah and those like him have to convince the fishermen to give up the child.
Once a child is rescued by IOM, Peasah said, it doesn't end there. "The children go to a center for rehabilitation, and we place them in schools, and help them overcome the trauma and teach them skills," he explained. "They all go back to their families. We make sure [we have] access to them, and we offer humanitarian and microcredit assistance." Microcredit is loans financial institutions give to poverty-stricken people who do not have any collateral to start small businesses.
"We don't only rescue, though," Peasah said. "We try to prevent this from happening at all. We try to educate the parents."
He said that his organization is becoming so well known now that parents have started to approach him, asking the IOM to go and get their children. "Child trafficking is going on all over the world," Peasah said. "It is a terrible thing." He said that the organization does not offer money to the fishermen in exchange for the children, and they have to win their trust - which can take a long time. "They ask us to drink the polluted water as a sign of trust," he said.
How it began
"What if we only raise enough money to save one child?" the Merrick and Lynbrook friends asked one another in April of 2007. "Well," said one, "one is better than none." The girls made bracelets and packaged them with cards that they hoped would educate people about what was going on in the fishing villages of Ghana. The necklaces had eight wooden beads, representing each girl, surrounding a recycled glass bead made in Ghana. They printed T-shirts with their logo, 1>0, and the tag line "Be Part of the Equation." The girls have since been featured in Teen Vogue, on ABC News, on "The Martha Stewart Show" and on the radio station Z100.
Rolling River to the rescue
Rolling River Day Camp raised $4,300 for One is Greater Than None this summer through what it called "fun-raisers" for its young campers, which included a "coin harvest," a "chuck-a-buck" on parents' night, a 50/50 contest and raffle prizes.
"That money can sponsor one child for two and a half years," said Genden. "And that includes food, shelter and education." She attended Rolling River Day Camp when she was 2, and learned to make the handmade bracelets there that the girls sell to raise money. "We are happy to see how much attention our organization has gotten," she said. "It just took off!"
One Is Greater Than None has already saved nine children, and is currently raising money to sponsor a rescue mission to save 25 more - at an estimated cost of $107,500. The group has already raised half of that.
"My joy is seeing these girls, who saw something happening 8,000 miles from their homes, who looked beyond themselves to do this," Peasah said. "While other girls their age are more interested in dresses, they are doing this."
Clothing sporting the One is Greater Than None logo - shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, sweat pants and pajamas - is being manufactured by a New York City company, Jonden Manufacturing. "This is such a grass-roots thing," said Jon Smilowitz of Hewlett Harbor, who owns the company. "We are donating back proceeds from the sales to the girls' organization." The clothing will be available at Bloomingdales and specialty stores starting in February.
As he presented the check at the festival, Rolling River owner Mark Goodman told Peasah, "What you're doing is tremendous. We hope to stay involved in this cause."
Hope is a word Peasah uses often. "Our reward is when we see them play," he said, referring to the children he has rescued. "We know we are giving them hope - thanks to all of you."
Comments about this story? MMalloy@
liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
