Religious leaders in Traditional Authority Ganya in Ntcheu district have embarked on a campaign aimed at raising awareness on the dangers of human trafficking.

This was disclosed during a media tour organized by Norwegian Church Aid and Dan Church Aid under a German government funded N’zatonse project being implemented in Ntcheu district by Dedza Diocese Catholic Health Commission.

In 2020, 199 Malawians were identified as victims of trafficking, according to the US State Department’s report on international human trafficking for 2021. Most are trafficked for purposes of forced labour and sexual exploitation.

Father Gerald Bwemba of Sharpe Valley Catholic Parish, who is also the Coordinator of committees working under N’zatonse project in Sharpe Valley area, said the area has not been spared from the vice.

Bwemba said some community members have fallen victim to human trafficking as traffickers take advantage of people’s ignorance, poverty and high unemployment levels.

“One of our pastor’s son was trafficked to Zambia after being promised a scholarship and after engaging the police and other stakeholders he only returned this year after being illtreated for two years,” he said.

“Secondly some women were taken to Nkhotakota by men who tricked them by promising to marry them only to realise that they were trafficked for purposes of forced labour.”

Bwemba said in order to combat human trafficking, religious leaders are engaging their followers and community members in order to raise awareness on the vice.

“We are taking advantage of church gatherings, funerals and other community meetings to raise awareness on various forms of human trafficking and its dangers,” he said.

“We tell people that they should always be alert to traffickers because they use victim’s relatives, friends and even chiefs in order to succeed.”

Sheikh Abdullah Muhammad of Sharpe Valley Mosque said he has doubled his efforts against human trafficking in order to protect young people and women from the vice.

Dedza Catholic Health Commission N’zatonse Project Officer, Gray Chanansi, said as trusted people in the community, religious leaders are crucial in preventing human trafficking.

N’zatonse is a three-year sexual and reproductive health rights project which is being implemented in Blantyre, Thyolo, Ntcheu, Ntchisi, Mzimba and Rumphi districts.