Members of National Conference of Religious Women Onitsha Province
By Chukwudi Ejimofor
As The National Conference Of Women Religious Onitsha Province, engages in international prayer and awareness campaign against human trafficking, the phenomenon has left so many homes, families and society in devastating state.
The National Conference of Women Religious Onitsha Province shares her bitter concerns on the serial negative effects of human trafficking on the individuals, the families and the society at large that are immediate victims of this crime against humanity.
The awareness campaign is a deliberate step against human trafficking of different sorts, praying for its victims, and promoting concrete actions to curb this obnoxious phenomenon.
This intention was established by Pope Francis in 2015, and it’s coordinated by Talitha Kum, an international anti-trafficking network of over 6,000 nuns, friends, and partners. The campaign is aims to unite people worldwide in prayers and actions against human trafficking, with a focus on promoting dignity and more hope for the victims and survivors of human trafficking.
The campaign; organized by the National Conference of Women Religious (NCWR), an organization that brings together women religious leaders from various Catholic congregations in Nigeria. The conference’s aims are to promote unity, solidarity, and collaboration among women religious in Nigeria, as well as to address social, spiritual, and pastoral concerns.
Amongst the facets of campaigns organized by the National Conference of Religious Women against human trafficking are church symposium, hoisting of signposts in the rural areas that preaches against human trafficking, radio programme jingle and talk shows, conventional and social media exposition that enlightens parents and the young people in the hinterland the tacts of the trafficker in luring their unsuspecting victims; and above all the dangers inherent in human trafficking.
The NCWR is affiliated with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and works closely with other Catholic organizations in the Nigeria. The conference provides a platform for women religious to share their experiences, expertise, and resources in order to enhance their ministry and service to the church and society.
Reverend Sister Jacinta Chekwube Okpor, the provincial team leader of National Conference of Women Religious Again Human Trafficking Onitsha Province averred that campaign against Human Trafficking coincided with the remembrance of Josephine Bahkita, a nun and a saint in the Catholic Church.
Josephine Bahkita was kidnapped when she was tender. She was sold as a slave to a slave master, who sold her; and she was resold severely as slave. As God may have it, the last person that bought her as slave, she had the opportunity to go to school, as she was commissioned sending her slave master’s children to the school where Reverend Sisters were teaching. From there she heard about God for the first time and she letter became a Canossian Sister of Charity in Italy, a nun and Catholic Saint”.
The conference through Reverend Sister Jacinta Chekwube Okpor further admonished members of the society to refrain from human trafficking of any sort in Nigeria and embrace the virtues of Saint Josephine Bahkita.
Saint Josephine Bahkita is the Patroness of Anti Human Traffickers And Survivors and a symbol of hope and freedom for victims of human trafficking and slavery. The National Conference of Women Religious Against Human Trafficking is appealing to all Nigerian societies to inculcate the stings of Saint Josephine Bahkita and be part of the of prayer and awareness campaign to help reduce, if not eliminate the incessant increase in human trafficking largely against Nigeria children which is achievable.
The organization has the conviction that all and sunday’s participation in the campaign and prayer awareness will create a formidable forces to combat human trafficking and promote a culture of dignity and respect for the sanctity of human leaving on earth as sanctioned by God our creator.
Human trafficking is a serious issue in Nigeria, and prevention awareness creation is crucial to combat this crime. Family poverty, mindset, cultural practices, polygamy, lack of family planning awareness, proximity to prone locations and family and religious affiliations have variously been adduced as highly enabling or enhancing the vulnerability of persons who fall victim to human trafficking agents or sponsors.
While there are other factors perceived to be responsible for the exodus of young people especially women and girls; poverty tops the list. Different levels of deprivations have driven low income and poor people in the community to low level of desperation, including accepting offers presented by traffickers and all forms of allurement to human trafficking. Traffickers themselves look for desperate families and individuals to preach their gospel.
Women in Nigeria arguably are generally poor. Poverty perceived to wear a feminine face. Nigeria women have lived with a longstanding low status, manifesting in declining inclusion in governance and public life.
The proportion of trafficked victims is also higher these days from rural communities than the urban, as traffickers take advantage of the poor enlightenment of rural dwellers especially among parents. Ignorance of the realities of trafficking among a majority of the people in the local government areas outside the metropolis is largely responsible for the ease of response to traffickers by parents whose dreams of improving their social condition is through trading their children to traffickers. Many young people in the same population dreams of a better life, only overseas.
Despicable state of vulnerability of over 60% of girls aged between 10 and 30 in the rural areas where trafficking agents operate, leaves very little strength of self-will in victims to resist enticement of traffickers. They are deprived of basic means to enjoy a good life. Girls who fall victims to trafficking, dreams of good life someday. That day comes very soon for them, when they receive an invitation to see a ‘Madam’ who had just returned from Italy, who usually takes girls abroad. When girls and their peers watch western films, music videos, read their magazines and see how convenient life is overseas, they nurse the ambition to travel outside their country where nothing works. Girls, whose parents find it difficult to pay their school fees, clothes and shoes them like their friends from well to do homes necessarily fall prey to tokens of good lunch at next eatery, and a promises of getting overseas to enjoy better life.
Human trafficking has severe and far-reaching negative effects on individuals, families, and society as a whole.
Victims of human trafficking often suffer physical and emotional abuse, leading to long-term psychological trauma. Trafficking strips individuals of their identity, freedom, and autonomy, leaving them feeling powerless and helpless. Victims of sex trafficking are subjected to repeated sexual abuse, leading to severe physical and emotional harm. Victims of labor trafficking are forced to work in hazardous conditions, often without pay or basic human rights.
Families of trafficking victims often experience emotional distress, anxiety, and trauma, which can lead to long-term psychological damage. Families may incur significant financial costs in attempting to locate and rescue their loved ones. Trafficking can disrupt family dynamics, leading to strained relationships, mistrust, and emotional distance. Families may experience stigma and shame, leading to social isolation and further emotional distress.
Human trafficking generates significant economic costs, including law enforcement expenses, healthcare costs, and lost productivity. Trafficking can contribute to social unrest, instability, and violence, undermining community cohesion and trust. Human trafficking is often linked to organized crime, perpetuating a cycle of violence, corruption, and exploitation.
Human Trafficking violates fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom, dignity, and autonomy. Trafficking can lead to intergenerational trauma, with victims’ children and grandchildren inheriting the emotional and psychological scars.
Human trafficking survivors may experience social and economic exclusion, struggling to reintegrate into their communities and access basic services. Human Trafficking survivors are at increased risk of mental health problems, substance abuse, and self-harm. Human Trafficking can reduce economic productivity, as survivors may struggle to access education, employment, and healthcare.
The National Conference Of Women Religious is in the fore front of this prayer and awareness Campaign to essentially recognize the devastating effects of human trafficking and calling on well spirited individuals, families other religious organizations, law enforcement agencies and the government to work together to prevent this heinous crime against God’s order, protect its victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.
