By Sunday Apah
The School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), a collaborative initiative funded by the Government of Netherlands and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in partnership with NAPTIP, the Delta State Ministry of Education, the Delta State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking, and Hope Health Organisation (HHO), Ozoro, the Civil Society Organization implementing STEAP in the state, launched an extensive awareness campaign in Osubi community.
The campaign focused on the critical issues of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB), drug abuse, and child abuse.
The programme was carried out with the technical support of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), coordinated through its Delta State Project office headed by Ijeoma David-Ukoko, whose guidance helped shape the successful delivery of the town hall meeting and street rally.
Mrs. Oluwakemi Omotoso, CSO STEAP Project Coordinator, emphasized that the program is designed to implement school-based anti-trafficking education and advocacy.
She noted that a total of 104 participants (45 men and 59 women) turned out for the town hall meeting, reflecting strong community interest in the campaign’s message.
She highlighted that human trafficking is a growing problem significantly impacting young people, often exacerbated by current economic conditions.
“Many people are only looking at the perceived benefits, being deceived with promises of money and jobs to better their families, without being told about the dangers of human trafficking,” Oluwakemi stated.
“Traffickers are everywhere, and we are here in Osubi to sensitize the community about the risks and consequences of human trafficking, not only for the victims but also for their families, society, and the nation as a whole.”
She urged community members to take responsibility and collaborate in preventing human trafficking, ensuring collective action to eradicate the issue.
Oluwakemi also noted that the project extends its campaign to include drug abuse and child labour, recognizing these as contributing factors to vulnerability to trafficking.
During the event, Mrs. Tega Agboba, a resource person, presented on child abuse, defining it as any act or failure to act by a parent or caretaker resulting in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, exploitation, or an imminent risk of serious harm to a child.
She outlined various types of child abuse, including physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional/psychological abuse.
Mrs. Agboba detailed the profound effects, ranging from physical injuries and chronic health problems to psychological trauma, aggression, and academic difficulties.
She also discussed parental, child, and environmental factors contributing to abuse and stressed the importance of preventive measures such as education, support systems, early intervention, public awareness, and policy changes.
Mrs. Ufuoma Orukele addressed human trafficking, defining it as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit another person for labor or commercial sex.
She categorized types as sex trafficking and labor trafficking, illustrating with examples like individuals lured by false job offers and forced into labor, or runaway teens coerced into prostitution.
Mrs. Orukele underscored the severe physical, psychological, and social effects on victims, emphasizing that the primary purpose of trafficking is exploitation for the trafficker’s financial gain.
President General of Osubi community, Mr. Julius Okerege who spoke on behalf of the leaders and participants lauded the program, acknowledging its potential to significantly aid in addressing human trafficking, child abuse, child labor, and drug abuse within Osubi.
To extend the campaign’s reach beyond the town hall, a street rally and distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials followed, drawing in community members present at the activity to broaden the message across the wider population.
The rally moved through the busy streets of Osubi, engaging a total of over 2,000 residents directly.
