In 2006, it was estimated that, at $13.3 BILLION, the commercial sex industry in the U.S. brought in more revenue than the NFL, NBA and MLB combined.

The truth is, there has been a 50% decrease in revenue produced since then. Not because people are watching porn less, but due to access to free content. In fact, it is estimated that 70-80% of porn sites are free in the U.S. Unfortunately, porn consumption is reaching staggering heights. Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter combined!

Despite the prevailing belief that porn is victimless, porn fuels trafficking, and in many cases, porn IS trafficking. The following are 7 ways to demonstrate how this happens:

1. PORN = Gateway to Purchasing People for Sex

Porn addiction is progressive in nature.  Dr. Victor B. Cline, a psychologist that treats people who suffer from porn addiction details the process of porn addiction in the following way:

• Addiction-Effect: “The porn-consumers got hooked. Once involved in pornographic materials, they kept coming back for more and still more.”
• Escalation-Effect: “With the passage of time, the addicted person required rougher, more explicit, more deviant, and “kinky” kinds of sexual material to get their “highs” and “sexual turn-ons.” It was reminiscent of individuals afflicted with drug addictions”
• Desensitization: “Material … which was originally perceived as shocking, taboo breaking, illegal, repulsive, or immoral, in time came to be seen as acceptable and commonplace”
• Increasing tendency to act out:  In this phase people are more likely to sexually act out the behaviors viewed in the pornography, including hiring women in prostitution.

And in case you still believe the myth of the “happy hooker”, it is important to note that 84% of women in prostitution are under third-party control or pimped or trafficked.

In other words, it is very likely that the person whose porn addiction drives them to purchase a woman for sex is engaging in this transaction with a victim of commercial sexual exploitation/trafficking.

To reinforce Dr. Cline’s findings, 80% of survivors report that their customers showed them porn to illustrate the kinds of sexual acts they wanted. Some people argue that porn is a healthier/safer alternative for people who otherwise might be tempted to engage in sexually deviant behaviors. They say that it is an outlet for aberrant sexual desires. If this were true, consumers of pornography should be the least likely to hire women in prostitution. Unfortunately, research shows that the opposite is true.  Watching porn increases the likelihood that the consumer will hire a prostituted person.

2. Filmed without Consent or Knowledge

49% of women who have worked in prostitution report being filmed by their traffickers or johns. This is just the percentage of women who knew they were being filmed.

This footage is often streamed and or later distributed. A person viewing this type of pornography would have no way of knowing whether or not the person on the other end of the camera is a willing participant. In many cases, she is not.

In other scenarios, women and girls are drugged, raped and filmed.  Again, the footage is streamed or distributed. Tragically, this is one of the tactics pimps are known to use to traffic their victims.

There is a noteworthy case in Miami where two men, one of them a former police officer, were convicted of trafficking using this very strategy to victimize aspiring models. Under the false promise of opportunities to book work, victims were lured in for a phony audition where they were required to consume and promote beverages on camera. Their drinks were laced with benzodiazepines.  Once the drugs took effect, the women were raped and filmed, and the footage was sold all over the Internet and in porn stores across the U.S.

This is not an isolated incident.  It just happens to be the one in the news.  I have talked to several women whose traffickers have used the exact same tactics.  The only difference is, their traffickers were never brought to justice.

3. Footage Used as Blackmail

Often, footage, like the above, is used as blackmail to force women to comply with the commands of their traffickers.  For example, she might be threatened that if she doesn’t do what they say, they will show the videos to her parents. I have known women who have experienced the shame of their family receiving pornographic videos and images of them when they tried to stand up to their exploiters.

4. PORN Used to Advertise Victims

Pimps and traffickers look for ways to make more money.  Often, they force their victims to do pornographic videos, because they can make more money when they advertise women in prostitution as “adult film stars” who are available as “escorts”.[10]Consumers of such videos may not be aware that the women and girls in the videos are actually victims of trafficking.

5. Live Videos

Unfortunately, the advances in live video technology have resourced traffickers with new avenues of sexual exploitation.  Prostitution, which is often violent in nature, is live streamed and made available to consumers. In many cases, these videos involve minors and/or individuals who are being forced into prostitution.  It is often impossible to distinguish between a video of a willing participant, and those containing victims of trafficking.

6. Consent or Coercion

Finally, when it comes to the mainstream porn industry, there is the issue of consent versus coercion.  It isn’t always black and white. There are a variety of situations where women who have reported they entered the porn industry by their own choice find themselves in precarious and even threatening situations where they are coerced, and sometimes forced, into performing acts outside of their boundaries.

We have already touched on the addictive and progressive nature of watching porn whereby the addicted person required rougher, more explicit material as time went on.  Even in mainstream porn, there is an incredible display of violence against women. In a content analysis of the 50 top selling porn movies, 88% showed physical aggression towards women, primarily spanking, gagging and slapping.

Again, the demand for this type of content sets the stage for women (even those not operating under third-party control) to be coerced and exploited in order to meet the demand.

Here is what we hear from the women we serve who have been a part of the porn industry.

• Bait and Switch

In many cases, women will accept a role in a pornographic film based on a fraudulent description of what she is signing up for. For example, she might be told that she is doing a soft-core, girl on girl scene.  When she arrives on set, she discovers that she is not only expected to work with men, but that the scene will involve an act that is outside of her comfort zone or already established boundaries. As I write this, I am doing my best not to share things that might be too triggering or explicit, so I am leaving out the details.  But I will tell you that I have heard stories of things women I care about were required to do in porn that would cause any compassionate person to lose several nights’ sleep.

• Threats

In the scenario above, when a woman does not want to comply with what is being asked of her, she is often threatened with the loss of money or representation, or told that she will be sued for the time and money she is costing them by not doing what they want.

• Degradation

Often agents will resort to degradation as a means to coerce women into doing what they want. In her expose  on porn, one woman shared her experience with this:

“Many agents will stoop to degrading their clients as a means of manipulating them to get what they want. They will call them names & tell them they are worthless. The worse they can make these girls feel about themselves, the more these girls are likely to do to win back their attentions. The agent/client relationship is really not that different from that of a pimp/prostitute. Everything is great as long as you’re making them money.”

Even in cases where women are “choosing” to work in porn, there are times when her will is thwarted and she finds herself coerced and threatened into performing degrading or violent acts that violate her personal boundaries.  In these instances, a woman may go from being a willing participant in the porn industry to a victim of sexual exploitation.

7. Child Pornography

By Federal definition, when a minor is used in a commercial sex act, it is considered sex trafficking, regardless of whether or not force, fraud or coercion can be proved. There is a growing demand for pornography of children, which is distributed online either commercially or peer to peer through exchanges between pedophiles.

According to the Association of Sites Advocating Child protection, the United States hosts more child porn than any other nation.  Based on data analyzed through their hotline, most victims are 11 and under (59%) while a staggering 31% are between one and five years old. Jesus help us! As a mother, and a citizen of the world, I am having a hard time even writing this. It is important that we face reality.  However, now might be a good time to pause to take a few deep breaths and whisper (or shout) some prayers.

Unfortunately, there has also been a growing demand for “teen porn”, representing 1/3 of total daily searches for porn sites.  In fact, according to a Google Trends Analysis, searches for ‘Teen Porn’ have more than tripled between 2005-2013. With the sexual exploitation being fueled by demand, this tragic increase in demand means that now more than ever, our children are at risk.

Bottom line, overall, the link between porn and trafficking is strong and irrefutable. As long as we are seeing the levels of demand that we are experiencing, women and girls, as well as boys and men, will continue to be trafficked and exploited in order to meet this demand. The worst thing we can do is let the enormity of the issue paralyze us into inaction.  It is up to you and I to put a stop to this.

This article is from a guest writer from the U.S.

I spent years hiding from the pain that sexual abuse and rape brought to my life. Because I didn’t deal with the pain, the pain had a way of dealing with me. It manifested in extraordinarily low self-esteem and made me vulnerable to dysfunctional relationships. Eventually, as my life unraveled, I found myself working in a strip club under the control of my abusive boyfriend/pimp.

Thanks to a friend who showed me God’s unconditional love until I was compelled to experience it for myself, I fell in love with Jesus. I discovered the truths that I am loved, valued, and purposed. The more they took root in my heart, the more difficult it became to live in a way that contradicted them.

Empowered by these revelations, I walked away from stripping and the abusive relationship. Still, I didn’t know if there was a place in my newfound faith for all of my pain. The people at church always seemed so happy. Surely, none of them had pasts like mine, I mistakenly thought.

One day, a friend divulged that she had been sexually abused. She was looking for a confidant but I found myself frozen and stiff, terrified of the memories that surfaced as she shared. Sexual abuse had been a taunting “giant” in my life, leaving me paralyzed with fear. I have learned that we cannot overcome what we do not face. Jeremiah 6:14 says it another way, “You cannot heal a wound by saying it’s not there.”

Often, our misdirected efforts to cope with pain lead us into deeper places of despair. Attempts to escape pain can create unhealthy patterns such as overeating, alcohol or drug dependency, eating disorders, self-harm or even binging on Netflix in an attempt to avoid reality. After listening to my friend’s story, I began a journey of facing my pain and exploring the impact abuse had on the trajectory of my life.

As I confronted my pain, I identified with the story of the Israelites in 1Samuel 17. Like me, they were faced with a taunting giant and found themselves paralyzed with fear. Through the example of David, a young shepherd whose extraordinary faith in a faithful God gave him the courage to face the giant, I gained the courage to face the giants in my life. Like David, with God on my side, I overcame them. We must face our pain to overcome it. With God, it is possible.

My story did not end with the pain. In 2003, while pursuing a Master’s in Social Welfare from UCLA, I founded Treasures, an outreach and support group for women in the sex industry and victims of sex trafficking with a Global impact. I have a beautiful daughter who fills my life with laughter, and I’m married to an AMAZING man who supports the call of God on my life. Your story is not over! I am not saying it will be easy. I am saying it will be worth it. And YOU are worth it!

The Writer is a former victim of Sexual Abuse

Genevieve (not her real name), aged 22years, hails from Bujumbura City, Ruzimba village, Burundi. She was trafficked to Kenya for marriage by a well-known Church Minister in collaboration with two Burundian women who belonged to his church in Nairobi, Kenya.

Genevieve comes from a very humble background, her father died while she was young and she has been brought up by a single mother with a lot of difficulty. She has two younger siblings who deserve a lot of care because her mother is also sickly and she cannot meet their basic needs. This made Genevieve to drop out of school at class five and started looking for petty jobs to meet the needs of the entire family.

In early March 2017, two Burundian women who were well known to her family members went and requested her mother to allow Genevieve to travel to Nairobi and do business with them. The two also introduced Genevieve and her mother to the alleged Pastor (albeit virtually) as their spiritual father who ministered to them while in Nairobi. This touched Genevieve’s mother who agreed to release her daughter to travel to Nairobi. The two women further informed Genevieve’s mother that the Pastor was interested in marrying a Burundian lady since he claimed that they were of good character, hence their request to consider Genevieve for marriage to the Pastor.

After several telephone conversations with Genevieve’s mother, the Pastor promised to support the facilitation of getting the temporary passport and transport costs of Genevieve to Nairobi. Out of the sheer promise for better life in Nairobi, Genevieve excitedly accepted to consider the marriage offer.  Afterwards, she prepared herself and left for Nairobi hoping to find the two Burundian women waiting for her. On arrival, she found the Pastor instead waiting for her at the Nairobi bus terminus and he took her straight to his house. Shantel was however shocked to find the Pastor waiting for her without the Burundian ladies who had promised to also give her a job on arrival.

When she asked the Pastor about the two Burundian ladies, she was told that they were very busy with church work and that he would take her to them the following day. On arrival at the Pastor’s house, the whole story changed as he instructed Shantel that from that moment onwards, she was his wife and that she should never move out of that house without his consent.

Nature of Exploitation

Within a short period of time, Genevieve was expectant; which marked the beginning of her many problems in the cohabitation. She used to spend many days and nights without proper food and she was at times battered and forced into submission. The Pastor threatened to get her killed. Genevieve further reported that the Pastor had severally used men to seduce and try to sleep with her as a trap. Genevieve eventually developed signs of depression and she was admitted at Mama Lucy hospital for further medical care and observation, where she was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

During delivery of her child, she couldn’t give birth normally due to the high blood pressure. This forced her to undergo a Caesarian Section to save her life and that of the child. Two weeks post-delivery, Genevieve was summoned to the Chief’s office for having threatened to kill her husband using a kitchen knife. Everyone present during interrogation was against her, hence she didn’t give her side of story. The Pastor eventually left her in their matrimonial house and moved out to live at another house at the church he was administering. He further started moving out with other young girls whom he used to send to Genevieve to confront her and threaten her. Genevieve was eventually locked out of the single room she used to stay in with her 10 months’ old daughter for defaulting on rent payment.

When the matter became unbearable, she was offered some money by her estranged husband for bus fare to travel back to Burundi; even though it wasn’t enough. Genevieve did not have any travel documents so she could go nowhere and yet she had no place to call home. She roamed from house to house looking for well-wishers to host her as she tried to right her travel papers.

Intervention

Genevieve’s case was brought to the attention of CHTEA by a Community Volunteer (CV) based at Mukuru slums, Nairobi. Screening was carried out which confirmed Genevieve to be a Victim of Trafficking [VoT] for marriage. A rescue and rehabilitation plan was developed before any repatriation thoughts could be considered. She was asked to develop a business plan of her choice as transitional accommodation was arranged for her. She eventually proposed to begin an eggs’ business within the precincts of where she lived. A single room of accommodation was also secured for her, with an advance payment of three months’ rent for both accommodation and the business location. This was happening as she was undergoing counselling.

It never took long after establishing her business to move on with her life. However, shortly afterwards, a distress call from an unknown caller summoned her to the Sub County Children’s Office in Kayole. She honored the summon only to find out that her former husband had gone to the nearest police station and complained that Genevieve had stormed his Church and defiled his name besides chasing away all church followers. He further claimed that Genevieve had launched a fight with some church members. This, he claimed had happened even after he offered transport for her to travel back to Burundi.

By the time she got to the children’s office, she found that the complainant had left the police occurrence book claims with the concerned children’s officer. Genevieve was called upon to answer the charges placed with the police report but she disputed all. Genevieve was escorted to the Children’s office by a ‘’guardian mother’’ Noella, who also disagreed with the police claims since Genevieve’s engagements over the same period were totally different. Genevieve was let off with a caution that she should never call her estranged husband with regard to the welfare of the baby based on the fact that she had refused to travel back to Burundi. As well, the Pastor was called on telephone and warned not to call Genevieve and that he needed to give Genevieve time to heal and take care of the baby.

The same evening and in contravention of the Children office’s directive, Genevieve claimed to have received a call from the Pastor threatening her that he would take action against her since she had refused to travel back to Burundi.

Further Intervention and the Way Forward

Genevieve made a decision to notify CHTEA about the threats of her former “husband”. She was terrified by the threats since she had thought that the children’s office had given clear instructions to both sides. CHTEA took up the matter. The first port of call was the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where it was agreed that the Pastor gets summoned for clarification of the matters reported to the police. It was however agreed that CHTEA would carry out the first level of engagement/investigations, then provide recommendations to the DCI in case it required further action.

At an appointed date, both parties were summoned to appear before a team of CHTEA officers. They arrived on time and they each had one witness ……the Pastor arrived with a fellow female Pastor while Genevieve arrived with her guardian mother, Noella. The meeting started at 3pm and lasted almost 4 hours. The conversations were both animated and emotive to both sides. The CHTEA team was basically digging in to understand the whole truth; assess that against all previous decisions/actions and finally develop intervention options for a lasting solution. All options were possible including providing criminal recommendations to the DCI.

When the sharing begun, Genevieve was given the first opportunity to explain her case. She did so with a lot of detail. She however avoided certain facts which could put her in bad light when it came to a final judgment. First, it was clarified that Genevieve had initial intentions to travel to Nairobi for business, even before she was approached about the Pastor’s marriage proposal. Secondly, she travelled by herself to Nairobi but not in the company of the two Burundi ladies as earlier reported. She spoke of the Pastor’s abuse once he assumed the role of a husband. She spoke of an initial short-lived period of blossoming love but that all this changed once she got pregnant. She accused the Pastor of infidelity and neglect during and after pregnancy.

According to her, the final straw was broken when the Pastor moved in with his church’s chairlady. He stopped spending time at home and he abrogated his responsibility towards his family once she gave birth. Eventually, the Pastor took this matter to the Children’s office where he handed in ten thousand Kenya Shillings as a contribution towards Genevieve’s journey expenses to Burundi, which she never did, allegedly due to lack of travel documents and inadequate fare.

On his part, the Pastor confirmed that he had initially taken Genevieve to be his wife but that many things changed within a short time. He claimed to have taken very good care of her and that he had sacrificed everything to make her happy; to which Genevieve admitted.

The Pastor however opened the can of worms when he said that Genevieve had defiled their matrimonial bed twice and on both occasions, she neither apologized nor reformed. He also spoke of the violent side of Genevieve especial    lly in respect of his work and the fact that he had regular meetings with his female congregants. “She physically assaulted me in front of the church just for failing to recognize her”, he claimed. He further claimed that he had faithfully been paying Shantel’s monthly upkeep allowance of eight thousand four hundred Kenya Shillings ever since they separated. This, he had been doing at a great cost to his church ministry e.g. selling church equipment. Most of the above issues had never been revealed to CHTEA by Genevieve.  Upon further inquiry, the Pastor admitted to having re-married and that his marriage with Genevieve had hit rock bottom and was not redeemable.

Observation from the two witnesses

Noella, Genevieve’s guardian mother and alleged trafficker accomplice confirmed that the Pastor had asked for a Burundian lady to marry and that she only shared this information with Genevieve, only to learn later (after 3 months) that Genevieve had already travelled and lived with the Pastor in Nairobi. She also got to know of their squabbles when the Pastor invited her to counsel Genevieve every time they had a disagreement. She expressed her exhaustion towards the same and was ready to let Genevieve travel back home irrespective of the shame that this would draw towards her family.

On the part of the lady Pastor, she was utterly shocked at the level of both deceit and pain visited upon both parties. She repeatedly requested that both parties consider forgiveness and reconnection to their former selves for the sake of their baby. She further insisted that there was no way they could permanently break their union as long as the baby remained a fact to their lives. She indeed asked that they both commit to forgive each other as a first step to healing, even though they may never re-unite. Genevieve in particular was deeply offended on confirming that had re-married…..she cried painfully and shouted a few very emotional and harsh words.

Case closure and repatriation of Genevieve

After many months of follow up on Genevieve’s case, CHTEA finally offered to repatriate her upon her request. As this report was being filed, Genevieve finally got her child’s birth certificate from her estranged husband and she was finally headed back home with more hope and optimism to begin a new life using the support extended to her by CHTEA.

Genevieve’s case is a showcase for the high cost associated with counter human trafficking interventions. Simple as it may seem, this case has cost CHTEA in excess of KES100,000 (US$ 1,000). It presents a master piece of how complex human trafficking/modern day slavery cases can get……a depiction of how normalcy in life can be abused by traffickers, trafficking networks and the merchants of absurdity.

The theme for our country meeting for this year is “Embracing the future together with hope”

We are encouraged by Pope Frances to:

1. To look to the past with gratitude
2. To live the present with passion
3. To embrace the future with hope

We have chosen as our theme to “Embrace the future together with hope”. What does this mean for us in the light of our present realities?  I suggest we can take up these three admonitions with great hope, courage and strength. There are two books written by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe titled “Things Fall Apart” and “No Longer at Ease”. You will all agree with me that Covid-19 has turned our world upside down. And we are no longer at ease.  Every aspect of our lives – socially, physically, economically, psychologically, spiritually etc. etc.  has been affected.

At the initial stage of covid-19 our fears were great. The image that comes to me when I think of it is “the upper room” experience. (Jn. 20:19) The disciples were behind locked doors, trembling and praying.  Much like the disciples we found ourselves locked down in our homes, uncertain, helpless, lost and afraid. The fear became great when we heard that Covid –19 was merciless on the old and people with health conditions and as such they should stay away from public worship, gatherings and avoid any visitors, etc.  A sense of being alone overcame us and a heavy depression clouded our vision.  We became confused and anxious as if we had lost our way on the cliff of a steep mountain side.

But the disciples did not remain in the upper room forever. As soon as they received the Holy Spirit their lives were changed, they could see things in a new way. They began to preach the gospel with boldness and in different languages. It is said that after any critical life experience we never return to who we were before.  Much like the disciples we found ourselves isolated, uncertain and afraid. Yes, the pandemic has imprisoned us with great fear. It has brought untold hardships – we are confronted with pain and suffering. Many have lost their lives, families are grieving; there is economic hardship and in its most extreme form has hit the poorest people most severely, schools and churches closed for many months. There is increased domestic violence, human trafficking and abuse of women. We have become obsessed with hand washing, we cannot even greet one another with a hug or hand shake; we distance ourselves from each other. The things we always took for granted is calling us to appreciation and gratitude. We are no longer free in so many ways; we cannot walk into a store or places of worship without facial masks. We are not free to embrace one another in a gesture of friendship. The energy and togetherness we experience when we come together for meetings is missing, not even to speak of the fresh air we take in as we walk on the road.

In spite of everything, we should not despair. There is hope as we seek mutual wellbeing and holistic care for one another, and in the face of all these, God is calling us to faith and trust. We cannot remain in the upper room forever – caged in our fears.  We are now becoming aware of its transmission and prevention. We are coming out of our fears and finding ways of living and working, taking precautions and keeping connected without taking unnecessary risks of traveling long distances. People are connecting through zoom conferencing, Masses are streamed online now for the vulnerable ones in our midst. There is creativity and innovation in doing business. People are taking more precautions.

There is a saying “never let a crisis pass you by without taking advantage of the opportunity to change, learn and evolve”.

In the midst of all these what is our call as MMMs for now and for the future?  Do we sink or rise?  What are we learning from our experiences?  In what new ways is God calling us?  I suppose some of these answers will emerge as we engage with each other during our discussions.

Pope Francis says “Covid -19 is not God’s judgment, but a call to live differently. He said that God is calling people to faith, which is not just believing God exists but turning to God and trusting Him”.  It is a time to decide to live differently, live better, love more and care for others. We are being called to renew ourselves as new persons, as new families and as new communities and people. We are being challenged to form new habits through daily prayer. From this pandemic we have seen that our lives are interconnected and sustained by one another and that no one reaches salvation by themselves alone.  I’m sure you noticed how much we cared and protected one another during the initial stage of the pandemic. We reminded each other to obey all the instructions put in place by the government officials to prevent contracting this deadly disease.

Our MMM Constitution urges us to be attentive to the cry of the poor (Const. 5.6); in faith and humility, respond to God with creative fidelity.  We are called to reflect on the signs of time. In hope and love be ready to walk in paths that are new. (Cons. 2.5, 6)

What new life are we being offered in the light of our experiences?

We are being called to consciously reflect on what is happening in our world today in an effort to embrace the possibilities that lie ahead. To face our fears because, Fear taken to its extreme is crippling. We are being challenged to accept the new reality or the new normal which is not normal at all.  To change our behavior to protect ourselves and especially to protect others; to reach out to the poor and vulnerable groups in our society.

Pope Francis calls us to reflect on how you, individually and as a community, might best make it possible for you to allow yourself to be open to the Spirit, making this time – one rich in grace and transformation.

I end this reflection by saying part of our chapter journey prayer.

“Loving God with our hearts burning we journey. With turmoil and uncertainty surrounding us, we trust in your grace to help us respond with wisdom and courage to our new realities. Help us to listen to the Spirit deep within our hearts and to share our hopes, fears and dreams with one another in faith. Grant us the courage to choose directions that lead to life in all its fullness for all peoples. Fill our hearts with compassion and love. We pray that we may have the power of the Spirit for our hidden selves to grow strong so that Christ may live in our hearts. Mary Mother of God and our mother pray for us to GOD, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out His all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic” Amen.

The author of this article is Sr Teresa who is a member of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM).  She has served in Malawi, Nigeria and Kenya

In a recent statement by the Washington based International Justice Mission it described sexual exploitation of children as “a crime of opportunity” Today with Covid 19 lockdown in place, hundreds of thousands of children are confined to their homes and online study is their only link to education.  But it also exposes them to online sex predators who offer them easy money, drawing them into a downward spiral of pornographic exposure.

In an August, 17^th article on the Kenyan ‘Daily Nation’ page 13, it says “The dangers that abound on the internet are many and children are especially vulnerable.  Each time a child logs on, he or she opens a doorway for adults that prey on children, paedophiles that prowl in the web, in search of children to groom, not to mention the tons of adult content out there, which often makes its way to channels that market themselves as child-friendly”

Children have very photographic minds and it is easy to see how easily such images become engraved on their minds.  Children are also very curious so they will return again to view such images and may quickly bond with them.  How many parents, especially here in Africa are able to track what ‘lessons’ their children have viewed on a particular day?  For some of them it may be a very real ‘eye opener’ to what their children have mastered to access.   It might even come as a shock to many parents – then the article goes on to cite the case of Mama ‘Joel’ when her 10 year old son told her that he had been getting ”bad” messages every time he turned on his tablet.  She switched on his device, only for a message with a profile picture of a half-naked white woman to pop up accompanied by a message, “Hi darling, want to be friends?” (Suppose he was a teenager or a child who did not confide in a parent?)

Other Crises of COVID-19 Too
Currently in Kenya there is an explosion of teenage pregnancies and it is not surprising when desperate, single mothers encourage and sometimes force their young daughters to have sex with older men. This is done just to secure some basic food in the once-a-day-meal for the poorest of citizens in Nairobi slums.  The outcome for such children carries dire consequences into their teenage years.  For many of them education will be put on hold or terminated, which again diminishes their chances of independent living and life choices in the future.  This is not to focus also on their own lack of self-esteem and self-worth to evaporate quickly in a society where Gender Inequity and Poverty plays such a debilitating impact on their already much blighted young lives.

“Let the Children Come to Me” Luke 18:16
Did Jesus see they were being ignored or pushed aside?  We would say he had a ‘soft heart’ for children, like he could not ignore or overlook their innocent smiles.  This to me makes any violence meted out to children as totally horrendous, the cruelty of any vice against them surely makes their angels cry!!  All the more so because we know that crimes against children are absolutely reprehensible.  They have no words or any language to describe what they feel and how it hurts.  The younger they are the deeper the hurt and with it a lifelong burning pain they will always carry.

Jesus had further words to say “whoever would scandalise one of these little ones . . . depths of the sea” Matt 18: 5 – 7.  For the people of Jesus’ time there was no deviously abused internet technology to twist and distort their minds.  But sadly, in our times to quote ECPAT- USA reports that at least 100.000 children in the USA are sexually exploited. “Pimps market and sell children for sex – openly – at popular online classified sites.  They sell them at truck stops.  They sell them on streets in every city in America” (National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children)

Children in this Covid Era
Unfortunately, we live through this pandemic at a time when nobody can predict just how long the Corona virus will persist/hang around? But what we do know is that world poverty will increase exponentially, creating situations where the underlying factors for human trafficking will follow in tandem – as day follows night.

Gender Inequity: Girls are the most powerless of all vulnerable populations because of social and cultural factors that devalue women and girls.  Very often girls have no control over their destiny and their lower status makes them more likely to be sold voluntarily by their families.  In many parts of Africa they are forced into childhood marriages and genitally mutilated prior to that marriage.  What awesome burdens they are subjected to and in most cases, before they reach 10 years of age.

Poverty:  Sadly in some parts of the world this steep rise in poverty will affect the most vulnerable and women and girls will suffer most.  Families may sell their children to traffickers simply because they cannot feed them.  Or they may be convinced that they are offering their children to someone who can give them a better life and maybe education is part of the deal.
Welcome to this Link below of a KTN documentary and we were part of it in the making.  We see little girls of Karamojong, Uganda sold by their parents for less than the price of a goat.  Incredible but sadly too true.
CLICK HERE Karamajong-servants-trail-of-karamajang-girls-trafficked-from-uganda-to-kenya-inside-source

Conclusion
Far from it being a world where we all thought we could look forward to better things in 2020, we find ourselves instead in the middle of a global pandemic, global warming has increased, natural disasters, increased migration, domestic violence and a host of other equally debilitating factors have become the new normal.  While we must hold on to HOPE, it is no time for the faint hearted!
More than ever before, we (especially people of goodwill) need to bring together our muscles and our minds, using the technology around us to an ever increased degree to make the decisions and best practice which will enable us to travel over these unchartered waters of the Twenty First Century. This is our deepest desire so that all of us and especially the most downtrodden will accomplish their life’s tasks on this tiny planet we call home and arrive at our Eternal Journey’s End in Peace, Safety and Joy.

It is very important to sensitize interior communities on ‘Human Trafficking (H T).’ It is unknown in West Pokot to date, therefore, all the more reason why people must be informed. Sister Anita began with her interpreter, Dinah by asking the group if they indeed knew or ever heard about ‘Human Trafficking’ and they responded saying, ‘it is our first time to hear the word H T and we do not know what it means.’ To help the women understand what happens when a person is used by a Human Trafficker, Sister used a visual aid booklet on ‘Human Trafficking,’ The Ultimate Slavery. Before sharing the story, sister asked, ‘if a family member or a friend came to your compound and offered to take one of your children to be educated would they let their child go with them?’ Some women replied saying, ‘yes, we would trust the person and allow our child to be taken for education, as we are struggling for fees for many children. If the person was known to the family, why miss out on this opportunity. Then sister said, ‘after hearing the story and seeing the pictures; I will ask again how you would respond and if there is any change in your attitude.’ Sister took time telling the story and showing the pictures to the group.

Here you see a picture booklet showing how a woman befriends a family in an interior village who are very poor. Madam Lolo befriends this family by supporting them and buying tomatoes from Linda who sells them to support the family. Her father is a drunkard and does not support the family. His wife is very happy when Madam Lolo offers to educate her daughter Linda, who is very intelligent. Linda’s dream is go to University to be a doctor. The family is unaware that Madam Lolo owns a bar and her daughter will never get to the University. Linda’s family is visited a year later by Madam Lolo who says, ‘your daughter is doing well,’ & they believed her. She says, ‘your daughter asked me to leave you this money.’ Her father replies, ‘Ooh! Thank you so much. God Bless you. How is she doing at University?’ But Madam Lolo ignored his question. Her father is so happy with the money he forgets about Linda, thinking if she sent money she must be doing well. They have no idea Linda is being prostituted to many men and never gets any money, instead Madam Lolo is becoming rich at the expense of this young girl & many other young girls. These girls are her commercial property. A client complains of being infected with an STI by Linda who is treated by Madam Lolo’s doctor. She becomes pregnant three times and Madam Lolo calls her doctor to do all abortions. This leaves Linda very weak and her health deteriorates and she is tested for HIV and is positive. Linda dies and Madam visits the family & informs them, ‘Poor Linda was hit by a vehicle crossing the road coming from University. Don’t worry I will buy the coffin and pay for her burial.’ Madam Lolo does not care for Linda as she is only a ‘thing’ to her and easily replaced by other poor girls in interior villages.

The group discussed the story they had seen and felt for Linda being treated so badly. Their attitude had changed having seen & heard what happened to Linda. They said, ‘Madam Lolo looked such a nice woman when she visited the family, they believed she would assist Linda with her education.’ Their expressions changed seeing Linda being put into prostitution & Madam Lolo treating her so inhumanly. She got an STI infection, had 3 forced abortions and then became HIV positive and Madame Lolo did not get her treated. They were shocked when Linda died and Madam told lies to the family. They said, ‘she was so convincing telling the family, Linda died after being hit by a vehicle crossing the road.’ They would have thought Madam was generous paying for the coffin and funeral if they were Linda’s parents, as they would have had no idea what had happened to their daughter while with Madam Lolo.

The women are now aware of Human Trafficking and know many ways women, children & men can be targeted by a trafficker. Unemployed people who have degrees are also targeted by traffickers unknowingly. Sister also said, H T can entice their child away from school or their friends while playing, with biscuits, sweets or cakes, saying, ‘your mother from Ketiam… asked me to bring you home from school.’ Many times this happens and the child is never seen again. Traffickers are a step ahead all the time thinking of new ways to trick families to give them a child. Some even dress as priests or sisters so people in the village come to trust them not knowing they are fake. 

By Sr Anita Hubrich, DoC

Following the ‘Karimojong Servants’ video expose by the Kenya Television Network (KTN), the abuse of the Karamoja region-Ugandan girls in Nairobi (and beyond) created a huge impact around the world. Hundreds of feedback messages hit CHTEA’s social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp and the Website. The main feedback message was that human trafficking is an unacceptable practice in the modern day society.
The KTN documentary elicited calls (from both State and non-state actors) for urgency to rescue the remaining girls in Eastleigh. The urgency calls have so far culminated to the development a second rescue phase strategy. The second phase is spearheaded by a consortium whose lead agency is the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) alongside the Counter Trafficking in Persons’ Secretariat under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. Other members of the consortium include the Ugandan Embassy in Nairobi, the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the Transnational Organised Crime Unit of the DCI…(all State related agencies), the Federation of the International Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA Kenya), the Counter Human Trafficking Trust-East Africa (CHTEA) and the Candle of Hope Foundation (CoHF). The project Secretariat of this consortium will be domiciled at CHTEA. The consortium has attracted the interest of Project Rescue Children from Australia who are exploring collaboration options…………in the line of technical support.
In case you may not have viewed the documentary, here it is:
Karamajong-servants-trail-of-karamajang-girls-trafficked-from-uganda-to-kenya-inside-source
At this point, the consortium is welcoming viable partnerships with donors in order to provide the requisite financial, technical and material support towards the project. For more details, kindly contact Sister Mary O’Malley, MMM/Patron, CHTEA on Email: mary@momalley.or.ke or Francis Mutuku Nguli, Executive Director, CHTEA on Email: mnguli@chttrust-eastafrica.org.