Report on a campaign to stop- the demand in trafficking presented to the youth in kandiga, Navrongo-Ghana by Simon Peter Aziabah

The campaign was conducted with six (6) aims/objectives, there were

To explain to them what is meant by human trafficking

To discourage them from indulging in human trafficking especially on the demand side

To discuss the effects of human trafficking on the victims and society as a whole

To discuss their contribution to human trafficking and

How they can help stop human trafficking especially from the demand side.

  1. On the meaning of human trafficking; it was explained to be the recruitment, transportation and exploitation of people mostly women and children for economic purposes or gains of the traffickers. Recruitment takes various forms by different people, but this is usually through deceit of the victims or their parents by potentially traffickers who could be relatives or strangers. It was explained that the success of the traffickers is usually enhanced by the desire of the youth to travel to economically booming parts of the world for greener pastures.
  1. To discourage them from indulging or enhancing the work of traffickers and thus thwarting their own future, they were informed of some of the activities they would be engaged if they were trafficked. These include; hawking, bar or restaurant attendance, cleaning or washing of dishes in chop bars and worse of all prostitution. All these activities have the potential of destroying their education and for that matter their future for life and in some cases even inflicting great health hazards on them. When asked if any of them dreams of doing any of these works in the future, they all answered in the negative. As much as they are potential victims of human trafficking, they were also made to understand that they are also potential traffickers or demanders of the services of trafficked victims, for those who are engaged in such activities were once like them. To further buttress this point, it was explained that they should be seen as people who would discourage the activities of human trafficking among themselves as well as their colleagues which stems from the anxiety of getting rich quick. They were also advised to distance themselves from activities that would further enforce the trafficking of women and children such as demanding services from prostitutes, using under aged children in economic activities such as waiters and waitresses among others. In conclusion they were made to understand that their desire for greener pastures which leads to their vulnerability to traffickers and a possible demand for the services of victims all contributed to the trafficking of women and children, which they should refrain from.

One asked what alternatives they had in other not to enhance the work of traffickers and trafficking since all this was as a result of poverty.

In response I asked if their financial status changed after their engagement in activities for greener pastures, to which they answered no. this therefore meant there was no change in their lives, hence they were advised rather to stay home in support of their parents and take their education serious whiles taking advantage of government programmes such as the youth employment programme, which offered job opportunities to the youth in their localities. This engaged them in meaningful economic activities while still taking advantage of their educational opportunities.

  1. On the effects of trafficking to the youth and society at large;
  1. First and foremost is the effect it has on their education, which could be a permanent termination of their education, culminating in this is the health hazards some of them would have to go through due to the unhygienic and inhuman conditions under which some of live and work. It also has the effect of leaving most of their parents and siblings worse-off since most of the victims are the bread winners of their families, hence any impediment to their education and success in future left the whole family in a shamble.
  2. On a larger or national scale, human trafficking has the effect of slowing down the growth or development of a country. This is so because where the menace prevails, women and children who are mostly the victims and future leaders grow with the mentality that the act is normal which is not true. This actually impedes the future progress of the nation since it does not allow for the full mental development of the future leaders to take up leadership positions on a national front.
  3. Last but not least is the possibility of a generation of a cycle of trafficking. That is if the practice is allowed the youth grow with thinking its normal to indulge and practice the act and hence carry it out to the up coming generation who also do same to the next and thus it continues. This it was explained would only leave us in a world were we would treat ourselves as mere products or goods, therefore dehumanizing or own importance of existence.
  1. On ways to help stop the menace:
  1. They youth were advised to stay away from all forms of human trafficking, that is activities that made them vulnerable for trafficking and those that attracted the trafficking of other youth, for as much as they are potential victims they are also potential traffickers and demanders of the services of victims, hence their responsibility to frown from any such acts.
  2. In addition to this, it is their duty and responsible to educate all and sundry about the effects and consequences of human trafficking, especially in relation to the education and health hazards of the act.

The campaign ended with me craving on their indulgence to take their education serious, since that is the only way they can go far in life.