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Abstract
Purpose. As knowledge of the causes and consequences of human trafficking continues to grow globally, it has become evident that the needs of survivors and vulnerable women and girls are numerous, and the process of restoration and reintegration can be quite challenging. Hence, there is an emerging and increasing need for evidence-informed assistance programs that help survivors and vulnerable women and girls to alleviate the factors that contributed to their exploitation or risk and avoid victimization/re-victimization. Consequently, the purpose of this analysis was to document the intervention and post-intervention experiences of trafficked and vulnerable women in Ghana in order to ascertain the programs impact on their lives and their circumstances. The study also documented the womens recommendations for improving the services provided to other women in similar circumstances. Method. This study employed a secondary qualitative analysis of the in-depth, face-to face interviews of 37 Ghanaian women who participated in a 9-month residential program in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Data analyses were conducted using the primarily inductive process associated with thematic analysis. Themes and sub-themes were extracted. Findings. Results showed that most participants found the program to be beneficial, specifically in assisting them to attain their goals: a) to learn a new skill that would increase their employability, b) to improve their lives, and 3) to negate negative attitudes (stigma). Participants also shared several recommendations to assist in improving services to other women and girls. Conclusion. Despite experiencing challenges during and after the program, Lifelines program had an overall positive impact on the lives of all participants.