January is National Human Trafficking Awareness month and in light of human trafficking cases both locally and around the world, Media Campaign Against Human Trafficking (MeCAHT) hosts the human trafficking conference annually in South Africa which has delegates from over 40 organizations.
MeCAHT is a member of the National Freedom Network which works to reduce the incidences of trafficking in persons among vulnerable groups in South Africa, Nigeria and Europe. The conference poses a significant opportunity for collective thinking and networking to take place from various role players in order to address the needs of human trafficking.
The South African Department of Social Services assisted 78 adult victims and 33 child victims of trafficking between January and September 2019 and awareness around human trafficking is at an all-time high, says Marina Reyneke, Operations Manager and Founding Director of the National Freedom Network.
According to the Department of Homeland, “Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act,”. Reyneke says “human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime in the world and poses lots of challenges due to its complex nature, it deters, disempowers and leaves freedom fighters despondent,”. President of United States, Donald Trump says, “In all its forms, human trafficking is an intolerable blight on any society dedicated to freedom, individual rights, and the rule of law,”
Grizelda Grootboom was only 18 years old when she was tricked by someone, she thought was a friend and was sold into sex trafficking. One night after refusing a client‚ she was beaten so badly that she woke up in the hospital. After being discharged, she decided to rebuild her life and help other trafficking victims. She is currently an activist against human trafficking has published a memoir titled Exit.
