IRRUA – Girls’ Power Initiatives (GPI) has held a Town Hall meeting in Useni-Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State to sensitize the community members on the dangers of human trafficking and irregular migration.
The town hall meeting which is part of activities of Engendering Community Participation to Reduce Vulnerability of Minors to Human Trafficking in Edo State, a Danish Embassy funded Project, featured sensitization seminar, film shows, interactive discussions among other activities.
The deputy coordinator of Girls’ Power Initiatives, May Ekido in an interview explained that the meeting was organised to sensitize elders and stakeholders in the environment on the ills of human trafficking and irregular migration.
She stated further that the meeting was also to explore avenues of collaboration with the community members, with a view to stemming the tide of human trafficking in the state.
“We’ve being working on anti-human trafficking for many years now and we have discovered that the traffickers have moved to the interior.
“we have done sensitization in the whole of Edo North. We are now in Edo Central, and we discovered that this is the real red alert zone for human trafficking.
“That is why we are here, to ensure that we give them the right information to prevent them from falling victim of these traffickers.
“We have sensitized over 7,000 children across 73 schools so far. We have been able to identify vulnerable children.
“People are better aware now that human trafficking is evil. Many who did not know that the purpose of trafficking is for prostitution and sex trade are now aware”, she explained.
A sensitization talk by Ramat Asemota on the evil of human trafficking and danger of illegal migration, as well as tricks and strategies of traffickers, also featured at the meeting.
