Prevent Human Trafficking in Tanzania
Warn Tanzanian girls about the serious risks of human trafficking when they migrate abroad for work.
Tanzanians living in poverty are susceptible to being trafficked as they attempt to migrate for work abroad. Awareness on the risks is essential to prevent harm.
To discuss supporting this project contact Johanna jo@justpeoples.org
Trafficking in Persons is a multifaceted crime orchestrated by organised crime syndicates with well-established networks. Tanzanian women and girls from rural areas are often lured with false promises of education, improved living conditions, or employment by traffickers and brokers. Subsequently, they fall victim to domestic servitude, sex trafficking, and other forms of forced labour. Some children and individuals with physical disabilities from Tanzania are also trafficked for forced begging in neighbouring Kenya.
Recruiters initially deceive their targets by using family or social connections to convince people that the job or education opportunity is legitimate. They then facilitate their transportation out of the country with support from corrupt individuals within government structures. Destinations primarily include other African countries, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
More recently, traffickers have utilised social media and online platforms to recruit Tanzanians abroad through deceptive job postings and advertisements, often demanding initial payments for travel documents.
Community awareness campaign to inform people about human trafficking and to beware of unscrupulous recruiters.
The most vulnerable demographic to these trafficking schemes are young women aged 17 to 30, who are living in poor communities and lack awareness about the dangers of trafficking. Their desire to find work makes them highly susceptible to attractive offers out of poverty.
Angela Benedicto wants these young women to make fully informed decisions if and when they decide to work abroad. She plans to run a comprehensive public awareness campaign via mass communication channels to educate the public about the threat and impact of Trafficking in Persons. The campaign will include the creation of a documentary that will be shown in high-risk communities, adverts on TV, radio and social media, plus targeted in-person outreach programmes for girls and young women. The campaign will inform people about the serious risks associated with international work offers, as a way of preventing hundreds of Tanzanian girls from enduring the highly traumatic experience of being trafficked.
Meet Angela
the former domestic worker who now advocates for the rights of tanzanian domestic workers
At 16 years old, Angela was working as a domestic helper in Tanzania, where she faced various forms of physical and emotional abuse, and was not paid the agreed rate for her work. Upon her eventual escape from this oppressive environment, Angela made a commitment to champion the rights and safety of domestic workers across Tanzania. So in 2012, Angela established an organisation which runs safe houses and provides free legal aid and counselling to abuse survivors. They educate employers to understand domestic workers' rights, and empower domestic workers to claim these rights. They also educate schoolgirls and their parents about the dangers of human trafficking and advocate for teenagers to continue their education instead of migrating into risky work environments. Learn more.