Tales of Victims of Human Trafficking In Kilifi
A campaign has been launched against human trafficking in Kilifi County. This is after it emerged that the cases of human trafficking are on the rise and victims suffer both physical and psychological torture.
According to officials, some of the victims of human trafficking are not even aware that they are being trafficked to other countries.
They are being lured with employment opportunities, especially in the Middle East with little information about what they will go through.
Others are trafficked in Malindi which is a renowned resort town and end up suffering psychologically after going through something they never expected.
Speaking during a Community-Based Organization leaders sensitization session organized by AZAD which is at the forefront of campaigning against human trafficking Tina Tatu said the aim is to enlighten youth, especially girls about human trafficking, she said most of those trafficked never knew and at times they go through psychological torture.
“Azad is an organization which deals with human trafficking victims it helps them by doing outreaches and reaching out to communities,” she said.
Tatu said they were pushed by the fact that Malindi was among hew hotspots for human trafficking because it is a tourism destination.
“People think that human trafficking is just about going to Dubai or other countries, having organs removed but no at times it is psychological, that’s why we decided to come to Malindi and create awareness,” she said.
Sally Riaz a victim of Human trafficking said she was lured to travel to the Middle East with promises of getting good money.
Little did she know that life there requires one to be indoors and lack freedom the way she lives in her motherland.
Once there, she said she was psychologically tortured and for two years she had to persevere but since then has never thought of going back to the Middle East.
“I have today learnt that even me at times I was trafficked because I was brainwashed and accepted to go abroad to work, so I suffered psychologically and that was a violation of human rights for example I could not even go to a supermarket unless accompanied by my employer,” he said.
From December 2019 up to December 2021 Riaz had to stay in a foreign country as a housegirl but did not have any freedom of movement which affected her.
Riaz said upon returning home she was scared of people including her own family members due to the psychological torture she had gone through.
“Whenever I heard my cousin or neighbor come to greet me I would lock myself in my room, it took me a while until I came back to the real old me,” she said.
She said she was comfortable speaking to people on phone or via video call but physically it took her one year for her to return to normal.
Riaz advised those interested in travelling to the middle east or abroad to go there as professionals.
Racheal Osabo another victim said she was in Saudi Arabia unwillingly as had been promised a job as a salonist in Turkey.
While there, she said she received so many threats to a point that she demanded to return home after only three months.
To her life was unbearable and she had to use the money she got to travel back home and has never thought of going back there.
“I paid my own air ticket from the cash that I was being given for the three months and I came back home to Malindi,” she said.
Since 2014 Osabo said she has never thought of going back to the Middle East because of the life death threats she received.
“Since that day I said I’d rather die in my home country than go to Saudi Arabia,” she said.
Osabo said at Asadi they receive a lot of training which enlightens them on how to live after undergoing such trafficking.
She said there are therapies, Yoga, training on how to make proposals of business plans to help one start a business.
Her advice is people should first do research before going to the middle east as there are many fake agencies.
Esther Gamema from the LIT initiative organization said most people do not know that they are victims of human trafficking despite the fact that they are psychologically trafficked.
“In different ways where we work where we live where we spend our time we find ourselves people traffic ourselves but we do not know,” she said.
She said Azad deals with human victims of human trafficking but also refers men to other organizations that deal with human trafficking.
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