The word “Talita Kum” is an expression that is found in the Gospel of Mark (5:41). The words, translated from the Aramaic mean, “Little Girl, I say to you, arise.” These words are addressed by Jesus to the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus, who lay lifeless apparently. After uttering these words, Jesus took her by the hand and she immediately got up and walked.
Today, these same words have inspired a group of Women Religious Institutes working in Malawi to arise in their capacity to combat “Trafficking in Person”, restore the dignity of those affected, empower them, and integrate survivors back into families, schools and society.
Areas of Activities
We carry out Anti-human trafficking sensitization activities within part of Thyolo and Nsabwe Districts. Makwasa down to Thekerani are part of the Chikwawa diocese and are located within Thyolo District and areas around Mozambique border area. Our Team (consisting of Mbawera Traditional Authority, Members of District Police, Customs Officer, Child Protection Officer, Youth and Sisters) who work with
Traditional Authorities of the area and their Chiefs within our out-reach in four Traditional Authority Areas. Along with Human Trafficking awareness, we combine activities on other concerning issues such as:
Drugs and substance abuse – a factor of suicide
Teenage pregnancy and Child marriage – that disrupt Girl-Child Education
Road Traffic Risk and Safety Measures
Domestic violence
To date we have carried out activities in 14 primary schools where we had over 4000 pupils and in one secondary school with 456 students. We estimate that we also spoke with almost 900 parents and 109 chiefs.
During our visits we have encountered a number of cases where we were able to take follow-up action. In one community an 11-year-old girl was handed over to us. We were told that she was found in a commercial bus from Limbe. After identifying where the child was from, the Child Protection Worker was notified and she was peacefully re-united with her family.
In another village a 21-year-old youth came quietly to talk about his Self-Trafficked experience. According to his story, he left his home for Lilongwe in search of greener pasture after Covid 19 when there was no money to pay his school fees. There at Lilongwe, he submitted to “Night club activities” which were not so helpful, and the ‘salary’ he received was not a sustainable wage to manage with. He succeeded in coming back home after four years. At the moment he has been supported with a little sum of K100,000.00 as an Airtel Retailer Agent.
The impact of Sensitization
In many areas people are becoming aware of the trade in Human-trafficking. Local Chiefs are developing new strategies to safeguard their young people from becoming victims of Traffickers and to stop child marriage.
Some under-age girls are beginning to speak out against being forced into early child-marriage in their own homes, and action is taken by social welfare officers living within the locality as well as the police officers.
Although we face challenges in this work, we continue despite our limited resources and we hope that the little we manage to do will bring about change and improve the lives for those we meet.
(By Sr. Monica Ichife RSC)
