Worried by the danger posed by the activities of human traffickers, Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI), has extended its aggressive campaign against the scourge to Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, Nigeria.

The training, which is part of the activities of the Protection of migrants and Asylum seekers especially Children and women coming from Nigeria and victims of trafficKING (PACKING) project, is aimed at raising awareness on human trafficking both among in-school children and community members in Edo Central Senatorial District.

Students and teachers in Igueben posse with PMC members

The train the trainer training was held each in Ubiaja, Irrua, and Igueben, with participants drawn from all secondary schools in the senatorial district, each school presenting three students and a teacher.

Participants were handed tips to identify tricks and strategies of traffickers, as well as in-dept information on the dangers of human trafficking.

Teachers and PMC members in Igueben

Welcoming the participants to the training, the co-ordinator of GPI, Mrs. Grace Osakue said the objective of the campaign was to give the children sufficient information and skills to enable them say no to traffickers, and be able to migrate safely when necessary.

She likened human trafficking to killing somebody, asserting that it is a life threatening practice that must not be allowed to continue.

Students from Esan Central

According her, for one victim who survive trafficking, about 99 die or are damaged.

She stated also that her organisation would work on the community to give community members sufficient information that would enable them differentiate between trafficking and migration.

Osakue advised government to ensure every child of school age was in school, pointing out that the longer they stay in school, the less vulnerable they are to be trafficked.

She also advocated birth control to reduce financial pressure on parents, noting that since 1993, when GPI was founded they have recorded only one incident of an only child that was trafficked, adding that upon investigation it discovered that the mother was late, while she was forced into it by her father and step mother.

The teachers from Esan West and PMC members during the training

The Project Officer, GPI Packing Project, Mrs. May Ekido said the programme was designed to train participants who will in turn go to their respective schools to train others on human trafficking and irregular migration.

She lamented that victims of human trafficking face a lot of hazards, and end up as slaves to their traffickers.

Teachers from Esan Central and PMC members during the training

“some end up in homes where they are made to produce babies that are sold. Some end in hospital where vital organs are harvested from them without them knowing it”, she lamented.

The resource person, Mrs. Blessing Ehiagwina, who is also the head of Service Department of GPI, exposed to the participants, strategies employed by traffickers to carry out their gruesome activities.

Also present at the training were Chief Inspectors of Education in the five local government areas of the senatorial district.

Cross section of participants from Esan Central and Esan West LGA during the training held at Irrua.

Co-funded by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Union, the PACKING project is a 2-year anti-human trafficking project being implemented by Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) along with other implementing Partners, which include End Child Prostitution and Trafficking – ECPAT France, Acting for Life France, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique France, Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique du Nigeria, Les Amis du Bus des Femmes France and Mercy Wings Organization for combating human trafficking, Libya