Kwaku Agyei, 71, a pastor and resident of Obuasi, tells the story of slave trade to young workers in his neighbourhood, in Obuasi, Ghana, July 25, 2019. "They captured us because they realised we were very strong," the Agyei said. "They sent our ancestors to work on sugar plantations. The slave trade made us realise that the white man was cruel." But many rulers of West African empires, such as the Ashanti kingdom, whose descendants still live in this part of modern-day Ghana, also profited, selling captured slaves in exchange for guns, cloth, alcohol and other Western manufactured goods. "Our elders exchanged their children for 'nice things' like matchboxes," Agyei said. But once again, his pride in his heritage shows through. "I can say our ancestors were the ones who developed America," he says. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko SEARCH "SLAVERY JOURNEY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.