Did you know that 54 per cent of all South Africans are vulnerable to human trafficking?
The only way to stop this ever-growing scourge is through collaboration and education.
This is according to the Abolish Slavery Everywhere, Forever (A21) campaign as it highlights Human Trafficking Awareness Week in South Africa from 2 to 6 October. The non-profit organisation has continued to fight the long fight against human trafficking, forced labour, bonded labour, involuntary domestic servitude and child soldiery for just more than 12 years.
The organisation spent the week raising awareness around the current reality of human trafficking in South Africa by sharing some daunting statistics and partnering with a number of large corporates to hopefully initiate a change among society.
One of these partnerships included Uber South Africa. A21 South Africa has partnered with the e-hailing company, based in Kramerville, to help educate its drivers and delivery personnel on how to spot and report incidents of human trafficking.
According to Uber South Africa country manager, Nduduzo Nyanda this partnership will not only help to reinforce Uber’s commitment in raising awareness for the cause but it will also allow the company to be part of the solution by combining its technology and expansive network.
“By providing them [the drivers] with resources and education with the help of A21, we want to encourage them to be vigilant while on the road and we hope to disrupt the human trafficking industry and take a step towards building safer communities for everyone,” added Nyanda.
Katie Modrau, country manager for A21 South Africa, added that this partnership had come at the most critical time.
The South African National Human Trafficking Hotline, also operated by A21, reportedly saw a 47.8 per cent increase in crisis calls between April 2019 and April 2020. Of the total number of calls received by the hotline last month, 30 per cent were related to vetting job opportunities as trends in trafficking through online recruitment increased.
“With an increase in human trafficking hotline reports, it is more important than ever to raise awareness around this issue and help those who are most vulnerable,” added Modrau.
Hope to Heal Foundation founder, Seema Naidoo echoed that education and awareness were especially important when it came to human trafficking. Hope to Heal, based in Rivonia, works hands on with survivors of human trafficking to help provide them with shelter, medical assistance (if needed) and counselling, so that they are able to process what has happened and work on rebuilding their lives.
“Each day we hear on the news about human trafficking but our great concerns are that people at large are not familiar with what it is and how to identify human trafficking, especially in vulnerable communities,” she said.
According to A21, these are among the behavioural signs of a victim of human trafficking:
- Controlled by another person
- Controlled movement
- Lack of earnings
- Foreign or unfamiliar with the language
- Overly fearful, depressed or submissive behaviour
- Bad health and malnutrition
- Lack of identification
- Signs of physical abuse
- Substance abuse
- Lack of trust
- Lack of personal belongings
- Signs of dependence
- Deceived by a false job offer
- Feelings of being trapped.
“The shocking reality is that only about 1 per cent of victims caught in slavery will ever be rescued. That’s why it is important that more people understand what human trafficking is and how to identify it, as there is more chance of a victim being rescued,” concluded Modrau.
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