THE 12th annual Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Walk takes place on Saturday, October 4.

The 5km walk starts at the Suncoast Lawns with this year’s theme being ‘Blow the Whistle on Crime – Shay’ Impempe’.

Gloria de Gee, the founder and director of the NPO Umgeni Community Empowerment Centre (UCEC), the organisers behind the walk, said the event aims to shine a spotlight on human trafficking and Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).

“This walk is not just an event, but a powerful movement of solidarity and hope. By walking together, we amplify the voices of the voiceless, raise awareness, and inspire action to end human trafficking,” De Gee explained.

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“Through this annual walk, the organisation continues to call on individuals, businesses, schools, faith-based groups, and community stakeholders to join forces in the fight against modern-day slavery.”

De Gee added there would be a number of events on the day, including a self-defence display, and a few guest speakers.

“The event seeks to educate, empower, and unite communities in taking a firm stand against this global injustice, working tirelessly to protect and uplift survivors. The event and the walk are open to everybody. Human trafficking doesn’t discriminate and part of the awareness talks will be about how easy it is to be lured. There are traffickers in and around Durban, and the more we get our people to understand the better equipped we are to deal with trafficking and are able to alert the authorities. The talks on the day will highlight that and we hope to empower and inform the public,” she said.

Important to note

The Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Walk will be at the Suncoast Lawns on Saturday, October 4, from 06:30 to 12:00. Registration for the walk is from 06:30 and the walk starts at 09:00. The public are invited to participate, volunteer, or partner with UCEC in making this year’s walk the most impactful yet. For more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to register for the walk, call 031 824 7951 or email admin@ucec.org.za.

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