Trafficking in Persons ANNUAL REPORT 2015 1 World Hope International Trafficking in Persons Annual Report 2015
It s estimated that anywhere from 12 million to 27 million people around the world are victims of human trafficking a $32 billion dollar a year industry. World Hope International has been actively involved in the fight against modern day slavery since WHI s inception in 1996. Currently, WHI is involved in anti-trafficking work in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and we re expanding our work to combat gender based violence and sexual exploitation in all its forms. Liberia A New Project in a New Country In March, WHI secured office space in the Sinkor area of Monrovia, Liberia, to house WHI Liberia. Through support from the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and WHI donors, WHI is partnering with the National Trafficking in Persons Task Force of the Liberian government to create the first ever hotline for reporting trafficking in Liberia. WHI has hired program staff, office support staff and clinical staff to manage the program, and has entered into a partnership with Touching Humanity in Need of Kindness (THINK), a local non-profit and safe home, to care for survivors of trafficking. The first two survivors to receive care under the project were identified in December 2015 and are recovering at the THINK home. WHI has equipped the hotline office within the Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Labor has identified staff to serve as hotline operators. The hotline will be up and running in early 2016. WHI is also working with the Liberian Government to establish a National Referral Pathway that will boost the country s fight against human trafficking. This is critical, as it makes clear to stakeholders, including police, ministries and non-governmental organizations what to do when they identify survivors of human trafficking. It will help to ensure that survivors receive the best care available and that perpetrators are prosecuted for the crimes they have committed. WHI is the lead NGO in Liberia working with the government to combat human trafficking. Sierra Leone Prevention: WHI Liberia staff Border Training: Intersection of Ebola and TIP prevention The WHI Trafficking in Persons Prevention team is skilled in relating to people in villages, raising awareness and working on porous borders. Border Training Each of these qualities is necessary in trafficking prevention. These skills also proved to be useful in mitigating the spread of the Ebola virus. UNMEER (United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response) recognized WHI s skills and asked WHI to do training of border officials from Guinea and Sierra Leone. WHI trained 2 World Hope International Trafficking in Persons Annual Report 2015
participants on how to screen people crossing the border between Sierra Leone and Guinea, how to identify Ebola and how to recognize and prevent human trafficking. Kroo Bay Training In November and December, WHI, in partnership with the faith-based organization Word Made Flesh, offered training in the Kroo Bay slum community of Freetown. This community is well-known as a location that is rife with sexual abuse and human trafficking. Staff members trained 17 Word Made Flesh staff and 140 members of the community, including market sellers, youth leaders, traditional society leaders, religious leaders, brothel operators, women used in prostitution, teachers, health clinic personnel and bartenders. Attendees were trained on human trafficking, as well as Sierra Leone s laws on sexual offenses. The goal of the training was to educate people about how to identify cases, the dangers and consequences of human trafficking and sexual offenses, as well as what to do when they identify these crimes in their community. WHI s Recovery Centre began receiving case referrals while the training was still in progress. Kroo Bay Training Recovery Providing Shelter During Threat of Ebola WHI s Trafficking in Persons Recovery Centre operated at full capacity throughout the Ebola epidemic. WHI implemented additional safety and security measures during this time to mitigate the risk of Ebola transmission. Thankfully, staff and survivors remained healthy. There were three government-instituted lockdown periods when people were not permitted to leave their homes in order to contain and identify cases, as well as to provide education about Ebola to the public. During these times, WHI staff worked consecutive shifts at the shelter to provide continuous care to survivors and to be in compliance with the lockdown. The commitment of staff to care for survivors and also comply with WHI safety regulations allowed the Recovery Centre to remain Ebola-free throughout 2015! Facebook scammer: a prevention story Sally, a 19-year-old senior secondary school student, met Denny, a South African, through Facebook. Their relationship developed through Facebook and phone calls to the point that he invited her to visit him in South Africa and they made plans to marry. He sent a letter of invitation to her with the supporting documents. She purchased her passport and visa and waited for him to send the ticket so she could travel. A family friend who knew of the arrangement contacted a WHI staff member raising concerns about the plans. WHI staff visited the family and in the discussion included information about human trafficking and scams. During the visit, Denny happened to call Sally, so Sally s mother asked the staff member to speak to him. When asked if the ticket being sent was a one-way or roundtrip ticket, he refused to answer. In a subsequent call to Sally, Denny asked that she pay her airfare to South Africa and he would pay her return fare. Additionally, although she was only able to obtain a two-week visa, they made plans for her to stay much longer indefinitely. All of these were red flags. Sally s family decided not to let her go, leaving her heartbroken, but a WHI counselor met with her several times to help her cope with the ordeal. 3 World Hope International Trafficking in Persons Annual Report 2015
Ebola-affected Children Support As the Ebola virus disease epidemic raged on in early 2015, it became evident that many orphans were in need of emotional and material support, as well as protection from would-be predators. WHI teams utilized their expertise in child protection and trauma care to respond to this vulnerable group of people, offering direct care and support to 404 children affected by Ebola. Good Shepherd Project Recovery Centre staff were invited to offer training to 160 Wesleyan pastors in six Wesleyan church districts in Sierra Leone. The training supported the pastors by equipping them to provide pastoral counseling for people in their communities who had been affected by Ebola. Staff used the skills they learned by working at the Recovery Centre to equip pastors to respond to sensitive issues such as grief, loss, and trauma, from the Ebola outbreak. Staff also trained pastors to identify and Good Shepherd Project Providing Care When Cultures Clash: Fanta s Story Fanta was trafficked from Sierra Leone to the Middle East when she was 17 years old. During the years that Fanta lived in the Middle East in the home of a trafficker, she experienced prolonged abuse. When she finally was able to return to Sierra Leone, her family was stunned by the change in her demeanor. Their once vibrant daughter was now withdrawn, difficult to communicate with and acting very strange. She was displaying signs of trauma, but the family identified it as witchcraft. To respond to it, they sent her to live with an herbalist (a traditional healer) who employed physical abuse, including chaining and beating, starvation, and forced consumption of liquid concoctions in order to heal her. These methods only increased her trauma. Recovery Centre staff became aware of the situation and discussed her symptoms with the family. Because the herbalist s methods were not healing her as anticipated, the family was desperate and willing to listen to WHI. WHI removed her from the situation, and with the family s approval, took her to the Recovery Centre. The counseling, medical and nutritional support she received at the center relieved her symptoms and allowed her to stabilize. The family is now very supportive of Fanta and able to appreciate the benefits of holistic care, rather than methods employed by herbalists. Fanta is now hopeful about her future and dreaming of starting her own small business in her community upon reintegration. respond to trafficking in persons, child abuse and gender based violence. Because of the respected roles these pastors hold in their communities, they are able to impact many people with their good shepherding. Exploring New Opportunities Nepal In August, WHI partnered with the Wesleyan Church s missions arm, Global Partners, as well as Bethany Global to conduct a child protection-related assessment in Nepal. The assessment looked at the human trafficking trends there and considered the increased vulnerability of children since the April 2015, with a focus on best practices in orphan care. WHI is explor- Nepal Assessment Team 4 World Hope International Trafficking in Persons Annual Report 2015
ing a partnership with Bethany Global to train church members as foster parents in order to place vulnerable children with families and decrease Nepal s reliance on institutional care. The Philippines In 2015, WHI, along with several Set Free Movement, International Justice Mission (IJM) and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, undertook a feasibility study in the Philippines. The goal of this study was to look at human trafficking in the Philippines to consider how WHI and others might get involved in combating and responding to it. WHI is specifically looking at the possibility of utilizing our expertise in shelter-based care in the Filipino context. The feasibility study found that there is a need for specialized care for victims of trafficking, particularly boys and survivors from vulnerable populations such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals, and survivors of online commercial sexual exploitation. WHI and partners are planning a trip to the Philippines in the fall of 2016 to further explore options for providing care to these groups through existing shelters. Cambodia 2015 was the last year of WHI s Assessment Center in Cambodia. WHI, in partnership with World Vision Cambodia and Equitas, had operated a short-term shelter since 2005 that provided a secure and safe environment for girls aged 5-17 rescued from situations of commercial sexual exploitation or sexual assault. During this ten-year period, WHI cared for 951 clients in Phnom Penh and 129 clients in its former Seam Reap program (July 2010 - March 2013) total of 1,080 clients. The Assessment Center provided a full range of services including: meeting immediate health needs, mental health assessment and treatment where indicated, family and home assessment, life-skills training, basic Khmer language and numeracy, creative arts, and recreational opportunities. The Assessment Center was successfully transitioned to a non-profit called Hope for Justice in October 2015, where the work continues. WHI is still very active in supporting the rights of women and girls in Cambodia, having just won a grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women to address domestic and sexual violence. The UN project launches in January 2016. US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, John Hoover, and Political Officer Greg Maggio visit WHI anti-trafficking projects in Freetown. World Hope International is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. 11639 5 World Hope International Trafficking in Persons Annual Report 2015