10% of women accused of witchcraft unwilling to be reunited with families

The Project Manager of Presby Go Home”, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working at the Gambaga Witches Camp in the East Mamprusi District of the Northern Region, has revealed that about 10 percent of women accused of witchcraft and banished into the isolated camps are unwilling to reunite with their families.

Mr Sampson Laar said though there are efforts by various stakeholders to have these persons reintegrated into their communities, some of them are still unwilling to yield.

This he said is as a result of the fact that most of them are not sure if their respective families will accept them back as well as accord them those privileges and courtesies they used to enjoy hitherto to their banishment.

He disclosed that about 80 of such persons have been reintegrated with their families through the selfless efforts of the organization, but observed that much needs to be done to chalked absolute success.

“…in Gambaga, I will tell you that less than 10 percent do not want to go home, almost everybody wants to go home. The problem is that any time we are able to settle the cases amicably, the women are very happy to go back home, but if the cases are not settled and you are pushing her to go home how will she express the joy of going home. But I am telling you over 90 percent are really interested in joining their families if the families are ready to receive them. I’ve worked there and I’m still working there and I’ve interacted with women, just less than 10 percent might not be interested in going home,” he stated on Tamale-based Radio Tamale.

He bemoaned the fact that the numbers of persons at these camps keep swelling calling for concerted efforts in dealing with the situation.

“So far we have sent home 80 women home and if you want to verify this I will take you round to see these women I’m talking about. So if the notion is that they don’t want to go how are we able to send them home? So people must be honest and let’s see how we can help these women,” he stressed calling for challenges to be addressed in the respective communities before the government takes a step in closing down the camps.