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.

The unprecedented changed environment due to Covid-19 continues to ravage the core fabric of the society in ways never witnessed before. As at the end of 2019, everything seemed normal in Kenya, until the first pronouncement by the Government on March 9, 2020. It was the Corona Virus pandemic’s first reported case in Kenya and a declaration for schools to be closed with immediate effect. This action was followed shortly by a curfew and a total lock down of some Counties, all of which deteriorated the ability of delivering quality services towards counter trafficking efforts within and outside of Kenya. CHTEA had to adopt new and creative ways of ensuring that all was not lost and below is a summary of four key stories that have since been processed successfully in spite of all restrictions.

1. ‘Cherry’ (not her real name) in Lebanon

Cherry was trafficked to Lebanon in 2012 by a trafficker who had promised her a white collar job. Once in Lebanon, she was placed at an abusive household to work as a domestic staff. The work environment however turned out to be quite abusive – sexual assaults, working long hours, non-remittance of salary and physical assaults, among others. In a span of about 6 months, Cherry escaped for fear of aggravated abuses, or even death. She joined other Kenyan ladies who were already surviving on the streets of a city called Dekweneh where she eventually got married to an Egyptian man using Muslim rites in 2015. Cherry’s marriage gave forth two children, Malak El Sayed, 4 and Christiano El Sayed, 3. The two however separated in November 2016.

Since their separation, Cherry has lived as an illegal migrant as her visa and work permit expired. She now lives with a group of 4 other Kenyan ladies in a two roomed apartment alongside her 2 children. A group of Nuns had assisted her with upkeep supplies until 2019 when the assistance stopped, exposing Cherry and her children to extreme suffering.

The other challenge for Cherry relates to her two children. Both children are registered under their biological father’s name and this therefore requires the consent of her separated husband. The husband is still in Lebanon and has allegedly been demanding the custody of the children too besides threatening Cherry with serious death threats if she fails to comply.  The situation got even worse after the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. Increased movement restrictions and social distancing meant that even the few petty jobs became rarer and the mainly Arab population looked down on migrants as the part of the problem

Cherry’s effort to get assistance from the Kenyan Consulate in Lebanon bore no fruit. Instead, she claims to have been met with demands for money and sexual favours to facilitate her repatriation besides a host of other humiliating insults.

Cherry’s plight was brought to CHTEA’s attention by her aged mother, Mama ‘Cherry’ on 9^th June 2020. Dorcas had visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she was only given a number to call or write to since the work environment did not allow for face to face meetings. She immediately proceeded to CHTEA’s office in South ‘B’ where she met with Sr Mary O’Malley (Executive Patron) and Mutuku Nguli (Chief Executive Officer). Mama ‘Cherry’ presented a letter to CHTEA asking for help with following up on her daughter’s case. Immediately after Cherry’s mother left, CHTEA contacted her daughter in Lebanon who further provided important information and documentation to support her case. After cross checking all the information given, there was sufficient ground to embark on the case.

The first step was to write a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) seeking to understand why it had not been possible for ‘Cherry’ to be assisted. Although MFA never reverted, Cherry immediately received a courtesy call from the Kenyan Embassy in Kuwait seeking further clarification of her case and assuring her that all would be well. ‘Cherry’ was further assured that once international flights resumed, the embassy would organize for her repatriation alongside her two children; but this would only be possible if she got enough money to buy tickets. The embassy pledged to work on the documentation of the children.

When ‘Cherry’ got back to CHTEA about the ticket issue, a quick letter was drafted and sent to Talitha Kum (a Rome based Global Women Religious network) with a request to support her with whatever was possible. After back and forth correspondence between CHTEA and Talitha Kum, Cherry’s case was finally picked by the latter and handed over to a Lebanon based Congregation of Sisters who together with an attorney met Cherry on Monday, 20^th July 2020 and processed her matter. Cherry had to fill in bio data papers as a means of supporting the validation process to get confirmation of tickets. In the meantime, Cherry is working on regularizing all travel documents for both herself and her 2 children…..the availed attorney is closely involved as well as the Kuwait Embassy.

Cherry’s case is a master piece of how a global system can be activated to effectively support a counter human trafficking situation, during this Covid-19 period, regardless of location.  It is fairly clear that Cherry may be back to Kenya any time as soon as International flights resume in August 2020.

2. Eunity (not her real name) from Narok

Eunity, a 17 year old girl was trafficked to Mukuru kwa Njenga slums, Nairobi with a promise to a good education and social protection. Although she was enrolled to Njenga primary school, Eunity never quite got to attend classes but instead was assigned domestic chores where she worked very late at night. The trafficker, who was also her aunt brewed illicit liquor in the same house, where she also gave her out to some of her customers for sexual escapades while she got paid for it.

Eunity’s case was brought to light on one fateful night when a community volunteer officer (CVO) noticed a commotion at a very odd hour of the night. Early the following day, the CVO reported the matter to an organisation called Movement Against Child Trafficking (MACT) who recorded the case and sought for help from CHTEA. A joint fact finding mission was commissioned to affirm the facts behind the report.  The team identified the lady trafficker, location of the abuse and the bio data of Eunity’s parents who hailed from Narok County.

The mission also gathered that Eunity’s parents had disagreements over her…….she was born out of wedlock and the foster father did not wish her to live with the rest of the family. On further investigation, it was established that the trafficker had very close working relationship with the Villa Police station, where the matter had previously been reported with no action taken.

The mission also gathered that Eunity hailed from a family of eight from Kajiado County. It was further revealed that the alleged trafficker, Mercy Kwamboka changed the names of Eunity and processed a birth certificate depicting Eunity to be her birth child without the consent of her parents. Eunity had marks of torture on her neck. The abuse matter had first been reported to Villa Police station on 11^th February 2020 and booked in the occurrence book.

A CHTEA staff later managed to talk to Eunity’s mother who confirmed that she was not aware that her daughter was going through such mistreatment. She indeed asked if her daughter could be returned home immediately. When this matter was once again reported to the Villa Police post, the police commenced a round of investigations which are reported to have given a warning to the trafficker. Eunity’s case was reported to the Anti Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU) who promised to liaise with the local police unit to pursue the matter. It was in CHTEA’s interest that Eunity was immediately placed at shelter as the matter was being processed from the police.

When the promised police action took too long, CHTEA reported the matter to the Police Commander at the Embakasi Police Division where a contingent of 8 police officers accompanied one staff in a vehicle to the trafficker’s location and rescued Eunity, while arresting the trafficker. Eunity was immediately placed under Estella Children’s Home in Kayole as the trafficker recorded a statement. The trafficker was however released on cash bail pending more investigations.

The Estella Children’s Home (ECH) fearing the Covid-19 pandemic ramifications processed a proper return of Eunity to her parents back in Kajiado. Working closely with the Children’s department and the police, Eunity was finally returned to her parents on Monday, 20^th July 2020. The parents have since pledged to get Eunice back to school, even though they are a needy family who may need some support to improve their economic status.  The ECH have given a further assurance that they may be in a position to educate this girl and/or enable her avail of an educational facility (vocational college) to boost her chances of becoming a fully independent person and make her own contribution to her family and society.

CHTEA will still pursue the police with respect to the investigations of the trafficker. Together with MACT, CHTEA is willing to offer legal services towards supporting any conviction of the trafficker in respect of Eunity’s abuse.

Kevin (not his real name), the 12 year abused boy

Born to a single mother at Nyanguso, a rural village in Kisii County, Kevin was moved to Nairobi by an aunt who promised to offer both protection and care in 2017. Kevin was registered to join school at a nearby location in Nairobi but shortly afterwards, he was placed to take care of his younger cousins. He used to wake up as early as 4am to cook and prepare them before taking them to a nearby baby care center.  Kevin would then proceed to school at around 10am, long after classes had started.

After several encounters with the school management and subsequent punishments, Kevin felt pressured and he reported the same to his aunt who in return ordered him to stop going to school and instead go and do petty jobs to earn some money for the family. He did odd jobs such as hawking of ground nuts and fetching water for money, among other petty jobs. After a while, he failed to secure any jobs and that infuriated his aunt who descended on him with vicious fights. Kevin eventually escaped one fateful night into the streets and started begging. Village leaders noticed his plight and took him to the local government administration who placed him in a children’s home for better care. While at the shelter, the aunt followed him up and pledged to take better care of him. She was allowed to take him back.

The aunt did not take him back to school but placed him to care for her young children. This did not go down well with Kevin so he deserted the home shortly afterwards and got back to the streets. He was once again noticed by community leaders who again took him back to the government administrator who in turn contacted CHTEA.

His Road to Home & Safety

Kevin was immediately interviewed and it was determined that his parent and relatives had no idea that he was undergoing mistreatment. A return plan was agreed and Kevin was placed at another safe house for two days as travel arrangements were being made. Eventually, one CHTEA staff accompanied Kevin to his village after receiving clearance from the Government with respect to Covid-19. Kevin may have survived the dangers of being infected with the corona virus but his future can only be guaranteed by some economic intervention.

The CHTEA staff who accompanied Kevin made a detailed assessment of the family’s socio-economic status and determined that they seriously needed an urgent economic boost. To this end, CHTEA is evaluating a number of options on how to best support Kevin’s mother in order to restore his life back to school, alongside other siblings.

Introduction

The year 2019 was majorly a turning point for Counter Human Trafficking work in Kenya. And so was the case for CHTEA, whose existence is fairly young but abounds with both knowledge, expertise and experience, dating back to 2006.  Registered in August, 2018 as a Trust in Nairobi, Kenya, CHTEA which is a short form for “Counter Human Trafficking Trust-East Africa” Its registration spurred growth and a sort of revolution within the counter human trafficking sector. Ranging from aligning with national, regional and international networks and institutions to providing leadership on matters of policy and advocacy, CHTEA focused on strengthening the core fabric of developing a clear cross border framework for the regional civil society.

The Year under Review

In the most unprecedented turn of events, the CHTEA Patron and Founder, Sr Mary O’Malley, MMM, travelled to Ireland for a medical check-up in January, 2019.  Her departure created a sort of vacuum as the organisation was still searching for clear direction upon its formal registration in 2018. Even so, the momentum was sustained by the remaining directors, who continued with some of the pre-planned work and sought for some new potential funding opportunities. Sr Mary however returned to Kenya a few months later after she was given a clean bill of health in Ireland.

Activity Overview

This segment is divided into two:

1. Counter Trafficking Actions
2. Enhancing the operating environment

Counter Trafficking Actions

This component speaks to “caseloads” and it provides some insights on how the year under review brought some new but more discrete methods of human trafficking to the fore:

1. Two twin boys (Kevin and Denis, 14) were reunited with their mother, Christine, after years of separation. A self-acclaimed barren Pastoress took away the boys from their biological mother and made them believe that she was their mother by virtue of offering them good education. The Pastoress employed the boys’ mother as a farm hand and deployed her to her rural farm in Kitui County where she got isolated from her children for over ten years (as the boys lived in Nairobi with the Pastoress). The boys were aged about 4 years when they last lived with their mother. This case was brought to our attention by a community volunteer officer (CVO) who received a distress call for help from the boys’ mother. The CVO then called CHTEA who advised the mother to come to Nairobi with family support. Meanwhile, her two brothers came and one had a car. We had pre-arranged to meet in the presence of Villa police, Pastoress, the boys and CVO. It was a precious moment to witness the reunion of a mother and her twin boys.

2. Regarding the issue of abused surrogate mothers which CHTEA encountered in early 2018, at total of five victims were rescued from a holding house in the East of Nairobi and one from Mombasa.

3. One victim in particular called ‘Rose’ was willing to tell her story. In her own words “we cannot stay quiet about it.” She willingly availed herself for an interview by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) at Nairobi. After hours of discussions, the DCI officers were able to clearly understand how women are currently being used to procure the births of babies whose lives are completely at the mercy of ruthless baby traffickers both in and outside of Kenya. For this operation to succeed a doctor trafficker heads-up the operation. The mothers are desperate slum dwellers who are willing to undergo a high risk pregnancy (the age range was 15 – 42 years old) for cash remuneration to conceive by use of a hormonal injection to bring on an ovulation.  Within hours they are artificially inseminated using donor sperms of Qatari males. The mothers must undergo a mandatory Caesarean Section to give birth. The babies’ documents are prepared in advance of the operation and these newborns are transported to Qatar within days. DNA is performed and if they are a match for a Qatari father/parent, they are kept probably for organ transplantation or medical research. But if it is a Kenyan baby s/he is returned to Nairobi and sold for two million KShs to a childless couple. A total of 8 victims were identified and contacted; though not all cases were conclusively processed. Others shied away from any public attention for fear of what the trafficker doctor might do.

4. Wayua, a mother of 3 got involved with a Ugandan man with whom they had a baby boy. The ‘alleged husband’ eventually duped Wayua to travel with him to Uganda in order to commence proper marriage proceedings. As soon as they arrived in Uganda, the alleged husband’s mother took away the baby boy from her. This case remains unresolved after the complainant went missing, fearing for her life!

5. A young boy aged 6 years was trafficked to Nairobi by his father to be in the custody of his step mother. He was never taken to school as promised before leaving home but he instead became the domestic helper to the step-mother’s children. Seen by neighbors who reported the matter to a voluntary child officer (VCO), CHTEA eventually rescued the boy and returned him to his biological mother at Busia, Kenya. This happened after CHTEA assessed the home condition of the boy’s mother and decided to support the mother to begin a second hand clothing business which has since flourished.

6. CHTEA handled a case involving four trafficked minor Ethiopian boys at Kyamaiko slaughter houses, Huruma, Nairobi. The boys were arrested by police for engaging in underage sex with underage Kenyan school girls, one of whom tested positive for pregnancy. The boys were eventually placed at a Nairobi Government remand home pending home tracing. Working closely with an Ethiopian NGO called CIFA, CHTEA managed to trace the original homes of the boys. Once the case was dispensed with through the courts, CHTEA collaborated with the Anti Human Trafficking and Child Protection unit and working closely with CIFA, the boys were eventually moved back into Ethiopia for family re-unification. A proper plan was made through CIFA to place them into vocational training colleges and guide them to refocus their future out of bondage.

7. In Early 2019, CHTEA entered into an informal agreement with the Tanzanian Police (Anti Trafficking in Persons Unit) to profile thousands of Tanzanian beggars along the streets of Nairobi. Although the exercise was undertaken around May 2019, the data remains inconclusive since hundreds or even thousands more beggars are found in other major towns in Kenya. CHTEA is currently fundraising to carry out a comprehensive study of this cross border phenomenon which has also looped in beggars from other East African countries.

8. In July, CHTEA was actively involved in the return of the first Kenyan victims of human trafficking from Saudi Arabia. ‘Lizzy’ and ‘Ann’ were formally received at the JKI Airport by Sr. Mary O’Malley (Patron) and Mutuku Nguli (Chief Executive) before reunification with respective families. Lizzie’s mother was at hand to receive her at a reception organised for her while Ann proceeded to Kitale, her home town in Western Kenya. A rehabilitation programme commenced in earnest for both and it continues to date. It is a demonstration of how deep seated effects impact is on victims. Ann had escaped a previous trafficking ordeal in the Gulf region but due to the pangs of poverty, she made a second attempt into a different country.  CHTEA eventually absorbed victims into microfinance projects and both have since stabilized their economic situations.

9. During the month of July, CHTEA convened the first group of seven ex-Gulf region-trafficked victims who met in Nairobi to share their experiences. The session was facilitated by a CHTEA trauma counsellor who had previously engaged with all returnees upon their respective arrivals from the Gulf. The initiative created the first (support) network of its kind in Kenya for ex-Gulf victims managed by CHTEA.  A total of 7 victims participated at the meeting which was also attended by a representative from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) of the police. All victims benefited from a small kitty on income generating projects.  We invited 3 other young women who also were being processed by the same agent. They gave up the idea of going to Saudi and we set them up in micro finance.  But the presence of these other 7 victims reinforced the notion that being trafficked invariably end in dire regret and great suffering.

10. A 19 year old Ethiopian young mother, Hamida, (with 2 children) who was trafficked to Nairobi at the age of 13 years was rescued from Kyamaiko slum in Huruma. She had been forced into an early abusive marriage where the husband tormented her with daily assaults and threats to kill. CHTEA rescued her and took her to a safe house in Kiambu County where she has since been enrolled into a vocational college where she continues to train on tailoring while her two children attend a school nearby. Upon completion, Hamida will be supported to begin a livelihood project at a place of her choice in Nairobi.

11. An alleged Zairean trafficker woman lured 2 boys aged 5 and 7 using sweets at the Imara Daima estate, Nairobi. The boys had been using a public pavement to play together as their mother was running a sewing business nearby. The trafficker surveilled on these boys for days before making the final dash to abduct the boys. Unfortunately, she did not have swift means of transport to move them as she attempted to use public transport. The older boy raised an alarm when he resisted boarding the transport and this drew public attention who gathered and sought to understand the truth. The public established that the lady had intended to relocate the boys for unexplained purposes. The public avoided lynching her and handed her over to the police who arrested her and later released her on cash bail, pending investigations. The two boys were saved by a whisker otherwise, they could have been an added statistic either for organ removal or child sacrifice. This case ended after the boys’ parents declined to cooperate with the police in prosecuting the trafficker.

12. The tracks of a lady trafficker operating at the Pipeline estate in Nairobi was discovered when CHTEA went out looking for Brian, an eight year old boy who had vanished from his father’s house at the Mukuru kwa Njenga slums. The trafficker later turned out to be working alongside the police at the Villa Police post, Imara Daima. This matter was later brought to the attention of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU) who are currently pursuing the trafficker.

13. A group of seven children were rescued from the jaws of a woman trafficker at the Mukuru kwa Njenga slums while transporting them out of their neighborhood. This only happened after the trafficker’s car stalled in the middle of the road within the slum. Although the police at the Mukuru police post got involved, the alleged trafficker was only held momentarily to record a statement but the matter was never prosecuted…..allegedly due to poor investigations. CHTEA followed up the matter but it proved elusive as no police officer was willing to follow up on the case as an indication of complicity. The matter was brought to the attention of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit of the police. CHTEA continues to engage with the AHTCPU on the matter post 2019 in the hope that the lady trafficker will eventually be brought to book. The trafficker is alleged to have worked closely with the “nyumba kumi” leadership at the village level who facilitated the entry and exit of the trafficker at will until this fateful day when she got cornered by the public.

14. A young Burundian lady who was trafficked to Kenya in 2016 with a promise for a “marriage” has since remained on here; even as she expresses a desire to travel back. Shantel was trafficked by a fellow Burundian woman who knew her since childhood. The trafficker allegedly arranged Shantel’s marriage to a Kenyan man. Once she arrived in Nairobi, Shantel was handed over to be ‘married’ to a church Pastor who eventually abused her (both physically and mentally) and deserted her after they had a baby; for another woman. The matter was mediated by CHTEA with a promise for the Pastor to regularize travel documents for both mother and child to enable them travel back to Burundi. The matter was eventually reported to the Transnational Organised Crime Unit of the police for further investigations. As at the time of filing this report, the matter was still being investigated.

15. Following a request from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (AHTCPU), CHTEA was able to trace, coordinate and avail a Tanzanian father to receive his two children from a court in Nairobi. The two kids aged 6 and 8 were trafficked by an aunt who lied that she was bringing them to have better education in Nairobi but she eventually sold them to a friend who exploited them until a concern was raised by neighbours who noticed the mistreatment. The whole exercise was almost a ‘mission impossible’ for the AHTCPU until a specialist from CHTEA took up the assignment (upon formal request) and delivered the children’s father within a record 2 days, just in time to be present at the court hearing. The traffickers were found to have a case to answer and their judgement was delivered at a later date. They were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

16. A total of 96 Karamoja girls were finally rescued from the Eastland’s suburb of Nairobi called Eastleigh. They were in a group of almost a thousand other girls who managed to escape from an open ground at the Shauri Moyo neighborhood. The rescue was a culmination of concerted surveillance and effort since November 2019 and the operation was scheduled to take place in December 2019. The actual rescue (of 12^th Jan, 2020) of these girls was a major breakthrough and was carried out by a combined effort of both the Kenya and Ugandan Civil Society Organisations (CHTEA and Make A Child Smile, respectively), DCI and police (both Kenya and Uganda). A ‘Kingpin’ trafficker was arrested and has since been arraigned in court. Esther, (herself a Karimojong) the alleged trafficker, was tracked down and led into a police trap through the efforts of CHTEA and her highly trained community volunteers based at Eastleigh and Majengo slums. Esther’s mother was alleged to be the lead recruiter on the Ugandan side of the impoverished Karamoja region.

17. On 15^th December, CHTEA rescued 5 girls who were within days to be trafficked to Saudi Arabia at the Majengo slums, Nairobi. Through an excellent effort by a CHTEA community volunteer, the girls were identified after appointed coordinating leader, Mary (not her real name) lost the telephone gadget which contained the contacts of other girls. Mary visited a cyber café to seek the services of tracking the phone in Eastleigh. The cyber café coincidentally happened to belong to the volunteer who immediately noticed Mary’s nervousness. He probed a little further to know why she seemed so anxious which revealed that her colleagues’ contacts and the trafficker’s number were in the lost phone. The volunteer managed to bring the girls together and took them through a human trafficking session which led to a subsequent major meeting at CHTEA’s office. We gave a ‘mini’ workshop   where they were exposed to more educative materials such as audio, visual, video and whatsapp messages which originated from trafficked victims in the Middle East. One rescued victim was also invited to share with them about the reality of trafficking to the Middle East. They all shed tears on seeing the videos and hearing case stories.

Eventually, they were all placed on income generating projects (micro finance) of varied types according to their abilities and have since flourished. It is therefore important to acknowledge that trafficking happens during normal social life and that community empowerment becomes key in identifying and promoting further action against human trafficking

The volunteer managed to bring the girls together and took them through a human trafficking session which led to a subsequent major meeting at CHTEA’s office. We gave a ‘mini’ workshop   where they were exposed to more educative materials such as audio, visual, video and whatsapp messages which originated from trafficked victims in the Middle East. One rescued victim was also invited to share with them about the reality of trafficking to the Middle East. They all shed tears on seeing the videos and hearing case stories.

Eventually, they were all placed on income generating projects (micro finance) of varied types according to their abilities and have since flourished. It is therefore important to acknowledge that trafficking happens during normal social life and that community empowerment becomes key in identifying and promoting further action against human trafficking

Enhancing the Operating Environment

• At the beginning of 2019, CHTEA led a team of researchers from the Religious Against Human Trafficking (RAHT) to the Kyamaiko slaughter houses at Huruma, Nairobi, where Ethiopian boys and girls as young as 6 years old work for pittance as their masters reap big profits. Under the cover of darkness, the team visited the slaughter houses at 4am one morning in February where their worst fears were confirmed – that underage children (some as young as 6 years old) from Ethiopia had been trafficked in large numbers for exploitation. A report was prepared and shared with the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, Religious Superiors Conference of Kenya (RSCK) and the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK). CHTEA also contacted the ‘People Daily’ newspaper who ran a full two page documentary (on the trafficked children of Ethiopia) to coincide its release with the 30^th July, which is the United Nations World Day Against Human Trafficking.  With support from RAHT, in October, 2019, CHTEA did a phase 1. Training of Trainers for 33 community based volunteers and human rights activist from four surrounding Locations of Kyamiako, Kariobangi, Ruaraka and Mathare.  The trainees formed four teams – committed to giving further awareness workshops in this highly populated suburb of Nairobi.

• Strategic meetings and contacts were made with the following government institutions as a way to enhance collaboration and partnership: (i) Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat under the department of Children Affairs within the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, (ii) a draft MoU was submitted to the Inspector General of Police, (iii) continued good collaboration with both the TOCU and AHTCPU, (iv) had several meetings with the Head of Interpol, Regional Bureau, (v) held a meeting with the Head of Anti Human Trafficking from Tanzania, (vi) met Children Experts from the African Union, (vii) held discussions with anti-human trafficking Experts from the East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania.

• CHTEA organised and facilitated two key Training of Trainers’ sessions: one at Singida, Tanzania and another at Kitale Catholic Diocese in Western Kenya. The certified training of trainers courses culminated into another training of schools’ Principals from all Catholic sponsored schools within the Kitale Diocese.

• CHTEA participated in a number of Civil Society Organizations’ (CSO’s) forums/conferences within the year. Such included: (i) a Regional CSO’s conference in Kampala, Uganda, (ii) a National CSO’s Planning workshop in Nairobi, (iii) talks by UK visiting experts, (iv) launch of “Just Good Work” by the Anglican Development Service Desk, (v) participated at Freedom Collaborative online trainings and launch of Liberty Shared platforms for global data service, (vi) Online trainings and webinars by the Better Migration Management & Stop the Trafficking Kenya (BMM/STTK), (vii) participated in meetings and activities convened by both STTK and RAHT (networks), among others.

• CHTEA was instrumental in supporting the Training of Trainers course which was sponsored and facilitated by the Talitha Kum (a Rome based Global Catholic network of Women Religious groups around the world). During the training, CHTEA offered a facilitator and a rapporteur to the event.

• Once again, CHTEA offered a facilitator during the 2^nd Africa Santa Marta conference held in Nairobi 1 – 3. October 2019. Santa Marta Group is a Vatican based institution which brings together Catholic Bishops and Heads of Police Chiefs in various parts of the world. During the conference, CHTEA’s role also included evaluating the final communique statement before it was adopted by conference delegates at the plenary.

• Following an invitation by the East African Child Rights’ Network (EACRN), CHTEA’s Chief Executive Officer facilitated a Kampala East African Community conference/training which brought together a combination of civil society organisations and the investigative arms of the police services (Kenya and Uganda), Immigration, IGAD, and Interpol. The conference achieved big mileage by way of providing clear guidance of areas of cross border human trafficking, reviewing the Kampala Declaration and the various other regional protocols.

• Following a journalists’ training programme (Kenya and Uganda) by the EACRN, the Chief Executive Officer of CHTEA delivered a paper entitled, “Do No Harm” Principle as a basis for strengthening media reporting within the East African Community (EAC) region. This was followed by a guided investigative detour of Nairobi by the New Vision journalists from Uganda regarding the Karamoja trafficking of underage girls. The detour led to the production of a comprehensive feature of the Karamoja girls’ trafficking Vis a Vis the Somalia-Al Shabaab link in the New Vision newspaper dated, 1^st December 2019.

• “Make a Child Smile”, a Uganda based NGO adopted a CHTEA intervention framework for the Karamoja girls. The framework proposed a joint rescue plan between the two organisations (CHTEA and MACS), the Uganda police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Kenya. The framework paper, which was developed by CHTEA was shared with the Karamoja Members of Parliament who in turn used it to bring up the matter at the floor of the Ugandan Parliament. The ensuing debate necessitated the creation of a Parliamentary Task Force on Karamoja whose work was completed towards the end of December 2019 and the subsequent report to be presented to Parliament in early 2020.

• During the year, CHTEA had a chance to supervise 4 Graduate (Master’s degree) students who were researching on projects related to human trafficking. The students were properly guided and exposed to case studies which befitted their lines of study. This was in fulfilment of their master’s degree programmes.

• The Kilifi and Isiolo counter human trafficking networks were also set up during the year and have continued to play a pivotal role in both awareness and support to specific cases within their respective Counties. These were besides the continued strengthening of the Singida, Tanzania platform (“Jukwaa).

This is an area of very serious concern to us, and we propose to delve deeper into this phenomenon in subsequent issues of our Newsletter.  At the height of the Covid 19 crises in Italy, the Pornhub were sending free premium subscriptions throughout the pandemic time.  Now they have extended this offer to the rest of the globe.  The move comes amid efforts from authorities around the world to stop the spread of Covid 19 as people are encouraged to stay home in self isolation and home-schooling.

Pornography is a form of violence against women and a means of promoting misconceptions of gender, human worth and dignity.  Prostitution is closely allied to pornography, it cheapens human sexuality and furthers a culture in which people are bought and sold.  It is not a victimless crime.  The real victim is our self-worth and our ability to genuinely value others.  Pornography thrives in a sexualised commercial culture and no society is immune to the messages given about human worth and dignity.

The Drivers of Demand

These are all the major drivers of Demand and millions of young women and children are its victims – the age gets younger and younger with a preference for the pre-pubertal child.  Coupled with this demand is the free availability of pornography on all online sites – in my own research, I found that it is currently being accessed by children as young as 7 years old, the peak is at 11 years old.

The Physical & Emotional Toll

In youths exposed to porn sites it is a growing process and they become bonded to it very quickly.  It is in effect one of the most serious addictions of our age, although this is never seriously discussed or seen as an issue like we view drugs and alcoholic addiction.  In young adulthood there is a combination of greed and lust, even with intense psychotherapy these images can never be deleted from the mind.  It is almost as if these images are inscribed on the frontal lobe of the brain and for the person addicted to porn these images flash across the mind at any future sexual encounters.  Addicted person may have such a serious absorption in porn that all other concerns of life, careers, studies and job are lost not to mention the loss of family when spouses come to realize they were in fact married to some kind of ‘weird person’

According to the author Gail Dines “Pornland” there are 20,000 new Porn images posted on the net each week.  Each image of children viewed in porn sites means a REAL child has been abused in this grotesque manner, it is possible even to hear the cries and screams of a child being abused. This ought to stir our minds and set new standards for our children – for them and for our generations, yet to come.

“Pornhub Destroys”

Porn on tap is the last thing we need in any country of the world let alone in our country. Yet sadly during this time of Covid-19, opportunistic marketers at Pornhub are trying to push increased usage as people are indoors finding themselves desperately looking for entertainment options.

Let’s draw a line in the sand TODAY and send the message to Pornhub that enough is enough. Their soul-destroying content is not welcome in our country.

Kindly click the link below to read more; READ MORE HERE

(We will continue to offer further reflections on this topic in our next issue)