FOR nearly a decade, counter-human trafficking organisation, Sparrow Trust, has been at the forefront of the ever-present fight against human trafficking, serving as the first line of prevention and a necessary force for spreading awareness and education.

Also read: SAPS views all allegations of human trafficking seriously

Founder, Estelle van Eeden, explained that Sparrow Trust is part of the civil society sector of the counter-trafficking field and falls under the National Freedom Network, which serves to unify other organisations with a shared goal. The organisation also works under the KZN Trafficking in Persons Coalition and meets every two months to strategise and plan.

Van Eeden is a sociologist and community development practitioner with decades of experience both nationally and internationally.

Her service extends to several national and provincial forums addressing human trafficking, online exploitation and child protection. Among these are the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime NACSA4U Human Trafficking Group, national award-winning Amanzimtoti Community Police Forum executive committee and the Department of Social Development Intersectoral Child Care and Protection Forum.

“Sparrow Trust is a grassroots organisation focused on local impact. We focus on prevention and awareness about human trafficking, primarily. That is why we exist, to raise awareness. I founded the organisation when I learnt that human trafficking affects everyone, regardless of status and age. To ensure a better response, you have to be on the ground and build a bridge between the community and law enforcement,” said Van Eeden.

What does Sparrow Trust set out to achieve?

The organisation’s area of work is primarily along the South Coast. Van Eeden’s hope is that fewer children in the area become victims of human trafficking, and that their childhood is protected.

Also read: [WATCH VIDEO] Spotlight on human trafficking in Amanzimtoti

“We conduct safety workshops and safety sessions in the community for the adults, the elderly and children, with a specific focus on children and school workshops, reason being, we can inform them and equip them with what to look out for and how to spot the red flags; we’d rather prevent them from becoming victims in the first place,” said Van Eeden.

She explained that the biggest challenge now is to reach parents with information that can better prepare them to protect their children from online threats.

“Everyone is so overwhelmed by technology, and exhausted, leaving little time to learn about how technology is used for human trafficking. As such, addressing cyber safety for children is one of the things I am most passionate about at a level which they understand so that they don’t become victims of online exploitation, sextortion and blackmail,” said Van Eeden.

How can parents protect their children?

• Delay exposure to smartphones. If they need to be able to call in an emergency, give them a “dumb” phone.
• Be aware of what your children are doing and make use of parental control applications. The older children get, the less oversight they need.
• Talk to them, teach them how to be responsible online and have open, honest conversations about difficult topics.

For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.