Ithembalethu Outreach Project hosted a child trafficking workshop for a group of orphaned and vulnerable youngsters at the Wembezi Catholic Church.

Along with their caregivers, 120 children from in and around Wembezi attended the informative and interactive talk on child trafficking.
What is child trafficking? Child trafficking is when a child under the age of 18-years-old is taken away from their home by a stranger, inside or outside the country in order to be taken advantage of.

In most cases, traffickers misinform children or trick them into leaving their place of safety. The children were encouraged to report suspicious strangers who approach them with suggestions of taking them to another country or city for ‘holiday.’

Human traffickers prey on the most desperate and vulnerable people, like those experiencing poverty or family problems. Children are often trafficked for illegal adoption, to be soldiers at war, for their body parts or as sex workers, to name a few.

The children were split into groups and had different topic to discuss, when one seven-year-old boy shared his experience of when a strange man stopped him and demanded the boy to give him a lift on his bicycle. The boy said he rode away as fast as he could and went home to tell his parents what had happened.

The youth were urged to reflect on what they have learnt at the workshop and share it with their families. Project Director Sister Maureen would like to pass on a word of gratitude to everyone who made the day a success.

The day was made possible by Lotto and Debonairs who funded stationery packs and leaflets as well as lunch. “The event was a great success and a huge eye-opener for the little ones,” added Sister Maureen.