Poverty, unemployment, corruption, and greed has increased the rate of human and organ trafficking in Nigeria. On 25th January, I gave a talk to Students of Good Shepherd Secondary School, Oyede, Delta State. The two hundred and seventy students were so curious to know more about the modern slavery of human trafficking.

The highlight of 2017 for our Inter-Congregational Anti-Human Trafficking Team was our meeting in Sydney Australia in October, 2017 for our biennial meeting with some of our colleagues. Those who attended the meeting are looking forward to working together during 2018 to continue to advocate and work for an end to Human Trafficking.

The Religious Sisters of Charity Inter-Congregational Anti-Human Trafficking team met in Sydney, from 15-28 October 2017. The following is a report of the meeting sent by Anne Kelleher, the Communications Person for APT Ireland- Act to Prevent Trafficking.

Sr. Gabriela Bottani, Comboni Sister is the co-ordinator of Talitha Kum, the International Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons. 
In an article in Crux she describes how an encounter with a trafficked person had an impact on her at an early stage in her religious life.  The encounter was a ‘moment of encounter with God that opened my eyes to the drama, the suffering of people like this girl and so many like her’. 
Read about her work HERE.

This year the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has chosen ‘act to protect and assist trafficked persons’ as the focus of the World Day.

In the English/Scottish Province we are part of TRAC (Trafficking Raising Awareness and Campaigning) an independent inter-congregational group of Religious and their co-workers working, as their title reads, to raise awareness of human trafficking and to help bring about change in legislation to decriminalise those trafficked while criminalising the perpetrators.

Sr. Justina Nelson works to raise awareness in Nigeria on the issue of Human Trafficking.    Recently she was interviewed by Quest FM, a radio station in Delta State.  She was delighted with the opportunity to reach a wider audience with her message.

Recently the Congregation announced the decision to fund an anti-human trafficking project in Zambia over the next three years.   This funding was made possible through a donation received from Sisters of Charity of Australia to celebrate the Bi-Centenary of the Congregation.

In this article Sr Eilís Coe highlights some of the initiatives taking place in Ireland at the moment concerning anti-human trafficking.  Just at the moment a very unique ‘Gift Box’ is touring Ireland.

The International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking that will be celebrated on February 8, 2017 is approaching.  This year the programme introduces a new element. It invites us to focus on one specific aspect of the vast and complex world of human trafficking: the trafficking of boys, girls and adolescents with the specific slogan: They are just children! Not slaves! We invite you to join Religious Sisters of Charity throughout the world in praying for this special intention...