Upcoming Kampala Entebbe Challenge and awareness raising initiatives
Rahab Uganda has an upcoming event towards the end of September, a walk titled the Kampala Entebbe Challenge. Each year, key Stakeholders in the community, including government, private sector and other civil society organizations join Rahab Uganda to walk a 29km journey from Kampala Lubowa ISU to Faze 3 Entebbe. The walk is aimed at protesting the growing trends, effects and barbaric exploitative purposes of Trafficking in Persons.
This year's event will take place on 28th September 2019 and participation fees include Ugx 20,000 for individuals and Ugx 500,000 for companies (groups of up to 10 people). Proceeds from the walk support survivors with holistic services at Rahab Uganda’s rehabilitation centers.
In early September, Willow International hosted a training for over 96 government and media officials on TIP (Trafficking in Persons) in Masaka, Uganda. Officiated by the Coordinator of the Anti-TIP and Resident District Commissioner, the training focused not only on what TIP is and how it occurs, but the current regional and global trends.
Criminal intelligence officers, probation officers, prosecutors, security organizations, and immigration officials were educated on the techniques for investigating and prosecuting TIP cases, as well as methods for identifying, protecting, and rehabilitating victims of human trafficking.
The ultimate goal of the training was to ensure that key stakeholders are properly equipped with the knowledge to identify and manage TIP cases. Participants were provided with the Regulation of the TIP Act 2009 and an updated list of licensed companies.
The successful turnout at the training and the commitment of those present is a testament to the growing importance of advocating for victims of human trafficking in Uganda. Through additional training sessions and work with the local government, Willow International will continue to fight this global issue at the source.
Kenya
In August, three youth outreach and awareness forums were conducted in Kangemi, Githurai 45 and Lucky summer respectively by HAART Kenya. A total of 403 youths were reached and the forums focused on safe migration and human trafficking being a possible risk as a result of unsafe migration.
Ten community outreach forums were conducted in Bungoma county, Machakos county, Kitui county, Vihiga County and Nairobi county reaching 246 community members. Information on universal human rights, human trafficking, and safe migration were shared in these forums.
Through the first responder trainings HAART trained police officers in Eastleigh (California) and the Children’s department in Matungulu Sub County in Machakos County. These forums, as much as the discussion includes human rights topics, human trafficking and safe migration, there is a keen interest to ensure that the stakeholders know how to identify a victim of human trafficking and direct them to the appropriate services.
Community awareness forums targeting internally displaced persons were also conducted in Kakagema County, Uasin Gishu County, and Samburu County. Participants were sensitized on their rights as IDPs, as well as identifying and reporting human trafficking cases and safe migration procedures.
One hour awareness sessions on safe migration and human trafficking were also conducted through community radio stations in Nairobi. Mtaani FM (99.9) and Ghetto FM (99.9) radio stations were used to reach out to the general public in Dagoretti and Mukuru kwa njenga informal settlement. Mtaani FM has an estimated audience of 240,000 listeners while Ghetto FM 90,000 listeners.
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child hosted a capacity building workshop for East African regional CSOs on Child GBV, child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children. These kinds of sessions bring together various actors to discuss and share best practices on advocacy strategies.
Read more about the workshop, as well as their awareness campaigns across Kenya and Somaliland in Candle of Hope Foundation's monthly bulletin.
Malawi
The Malawi Network Against Trafficking (MNAT) is continuing the 140-days Awareness Campaign of Human Trafficking in Malawi (which began on July 30th).
Malawi domesticated the following international instruments into its constitution and adopted various pieces of legislation including the Trafficking in Persons Act in 2015, the Child Care Protection and Justice Act of 2010 and the Amended Penal Code. These pieces of legislations criminalize Trafficking in Persons (TiP) and efforts to combat the crime by various stakeholders are on-going.
However, 95% of Malawians are not aware of Human Trafficking. The 2019 TIP report has classified Malawi in Tier 2-Watchlist, and further states that the Malawi government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. Malawi has a lot of strides to make in terms of prosecution and protection of victims, including support for the TIP activities in Malawi.
The overall objective of the campaign is to contribute to the vision of the national action plan on combating trafficking, which mission it is to combat the crime of trafficking in persons through victim-centered and human rights-based prevention, prosecution, protection, care, and support approaches until trafficking is eradicated in Malawi (2017-2022).
The ‘Ending Trafficking’ Campaign is aimed at raising awareness to fight human trafficking and its impact on society. It seeks to encourage involvement from governments, civil society, the corporate sector and individuals alike, to inspire action and help prevent this heinous crime. The campaign is against human trafficking, representing the sadness of those who are trafficked while reminding us of the cold-heartedness of those who buy and sell fellow human beings. The campaign allows people to show their solidarity with the victims of human trafficking and increases their visibility by implementing different activities from 1 August 2019 until 18 December 2019.
The campaign increases knowledge on TIP among the general public in Malawi, to contribute to an increase in the interception of victims, and the arrest and prosecution of traffickers. It is expected that 3.6 million people will be sensitized on TIP during this campaign period.