Sub-Saharan Africa

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

July 30th marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a day to raise awareness of human exploitation and combat the practice through collaboration, education, and advocacy.

At Heartland Alliance, we believe that human trafficking is the result of inequity. Across our five companies, and across eight countries around the world, we fight for economic opportunity for vulnerable populations to reduce exploitation – and we educate communities to recognize when and how these practices happen. Together, we believe we can end human trafficking.

Click below to hear from our Heartland Alliance experts in Chicago and Nigeria as they speak to the causes of human trafficking – and what we can do to support survivors and the practice.

Summar Ghias

Freedom From Trafficking

Chicago

Peret Shikse

Strengthening Services for Victims of Trafficking

Nigeria

On Friday, July 30, in honor of the day, Summar Ghias and Peret Patience Shikse gathered for an informal Facebook live conversation on Heartland Alliance’s approach to preventing and responding to human trafficking in Chicago and Nigeria. If you were unable to tune in, or if you’d like to share a video of the conversation, please click below.

 

Combating Human Trafficking: Peret Shikse

Peret Patience Shikse has burning passion to help vulnerable and most-at-risk marginalized populations in her community in Northeast Nigeria – especially those affected by conflict-induced human trafficking. As the Project Coordinator for the Strengthening Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program in the region, Peret combats exploitation through mental health and psycho social support (MHPSS).

How does Heartland Alliance work to prevent and respond to human trafficking?

Heartland Alliance International work in Northeast Nigeria to prevent and respond to human trafficking with guidance and technical assistance for community and government leaders. We help communities learn how to identify and respond to instances of human trafficking. We connect with communal leadership and government entities to build protection services, and also connect with families and individuals who have been impacted by human trafficking to ensure everyone can have a chance at recovery.

This work serves as an avenue for successful rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable and conflict affected populations. We ensure survivors return to a healthy social environment devoid of discrimination, stigma, community exclusion, harmful traditional practices, poor self-esteem, and dissociation. By changing the narrative and returning people’s sense of belonging and ownership, we are building more resilient communities.

What are the challenges or barriers that keep victims/survivors from connecting with Heartland’s services? How do you respond to those challenges?

Human trafficking thrives in the shadows. Stigmatization, lack of understanding of trafficking, and a lack of trust in institutions provides a space for human traffickers to exploit individuals. That is why our MHPSS and advocacy services for communities and governments are so important. We work hard to help our communities understand that the people who are trafficked are not at fault, and to prove to people who have been trafficked that they can trust the services we provide. Strengthening social fabrics is integral to eradicating trafficking.

Providing safety and health care are major factors in Heartland’s response to human trafficking. How do we build trust and relationships in order to ensure victims are not only able to heal but also thrive?

First and foremost, attending to survivors of trafficking’s primary needs and priorities comes first. It is critical to both building trust and ensuring that they are not vulnerable enough to be re-trafficked by creating an enabling environment. This takes time, as building trust and transparency cannot happen overnight. Ultimately, we want the people we serve to be empowered to share their experiences and find the solutions that will best serve them to thrive.

How can our supporters take action to help prevent human trafficking?

It’s our collective responsibility to raise our voices and demand an end to human trafficking. It’s everyone’s business to know how to prevent and mitigate trafficking in persons and we need to engage in continuous, aggressive, and rugged commitment to awareness raising and sensitization at all levels – from high level policy advocacy to establishment of Anti-Trafficking campaign clubs in schools.

Information, education and communication is critical in this work. Educate yourself and listen to the experts, and help others do the same.

One Alliance: Addressing Safety and Justice

 

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, protests erupted across the U.S., with activists and community members demanding that Black lives matter. Just a few months later, a video in Nigeria surfaced allegedly showing a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officer shooting a young man. Thousands of people took to the streets, and the #EndSARS movement began. Around the globe, people are beginning to confront these injustices.

Community safety is integral to continuing our efforts to achieve equity and opportunity for all people. So what does it take to build safer communities? In this One Alliance Series conversation, READI Chicago’s Eddie Bocanegra and Heartland Alliance International’s Bartholomew Ochonye speak on how systemic injustices make our communities less safe and how healthcare, economic opportunity, and justice are critical to community safety and success.

One Alliance: Addressing Safety and Justice

 

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, protests erupted across the U.S., with activists and community members demanding that Black lives matter. Just a few months later, a video in Nigeria surfaced allegedly showing a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) officer shooting a young man. Thousands of people took to the streets, and the #EndSARS movement began. Around the globe, people are beginning to confront these injustices.

Community safety is integral to continuing our efforts to achieve equity and opportunity for all people. So what does it take to build safer communities? In this One Alliance Series conversation, READI Chicago’s Eddie Bocanegra and Heartland Alliance International’s Bartholomew Ochonye speak on how systemic injustices make our communities less safe and how healthcare, economic opportunity, and justice are critical to community safety and success.

An Introductory Guide to Anti-Trafficking Action in Internal Displacement Contexts

Trafficking in persons remains the single largest rights violation exacerbated in times of crisis in which the humanitarian community does not have a predictable, at-scale way to respond.

Our new guide, created with the Global Protection Cluster (GPC), is the first of its kind and is an initial step to improving our collective anti-trafficking protection response.

The guide will assist in the detection, identification, referral, protection, and assistance of trafficked persons. It provides direction on how to prevent trafficking, who to work with in doing so, and what support victims require.

This guide is the result of a large and inclusive consultation and review process that involved participants from both the GPC and national clusters as well as from NGOs, including Heartland Alliance International, working to combat trafficking across all geographic regions. The guide may be used by individuals, national institutions, and organizations working in partnership with the Protection Cluster in the context of assisting displaced and vulnerable persons.

Read the guide here!

Look Inside: Reem Elmeleegy of HAI’s Counter Human Trafficking Project in Nigeria

Name: Reem Elmeleegy (she/her)
Title: Project Director, Counter Human Trafficking, Northeast Nigeria
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Food: Too many! It’s hard to choose just one.

How did you get into this work? I was always interested in women’s issues and rights, so I took a step and volunteered in a center for refugees’ services in Egypt to see how I can support them. That was the start; from then onwards, I shifted entirely to the humanitarian field.

Why is this work important to the community and those we serve? Our work is important because we create support channels for people in need, whether by providing protection, services, or capacity building, contributing to a better world and hopefully more developed and peaceful.

Was there a moment where you knew you were in the right job? During my volunteering with the center for refugees’ services, I discussed with the women and listened to the stories and the hardships they faced as women and as refugees.

What is your favorite part of your job? When you see the outcomes of the work we do, whether through workshops or services, and we get to see the positive change, or when you see the survivors supported, healing, and moving on.

How can others get involved in your work? Awareness is essential. People are not aware of the issues that people face; shedding light on trafficking and its types and what people Victims of Trafficking face can help prevent and access support services.  

Is mental health awareness important to you?  I think mental matters in general, and in our line of work too. The stress and traumas we face every day can take their toll on us, and with the lockdown COVID-19, this can be magnified, as many tend to feel lonely and with no support.  So, it’s essential to watch out for mental health and seek support for ourselves and those around us if we notice that they need it

How do you practice self-care or preserve your mental health well-being? Any tips for our readers? Taking breaks, doing activities I enjoy when possible, talking to people who support me. Also, recognizing signs of fatigue and burnout. One of the things I learned early in the field is that we can be more effective and productive when we are doing well mentally and physically.

 

 

A Note on the U.S. Election from Heartland Alliance International’s Executive Director

Dear Supporters and Friends, 

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) extends heartfelt congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their historic win in the 2020 U.S. General Election. We especially celebrate Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris—a Black woman, a woman of South Asian descent, the daughter of immigrants, and a trailblazer in so many ways—who reminds us that representation and lived experience matters, and that there should be no limits to what each of us can achieve.

The future will not be easy — there is still a tremendous amount of healing, reckoning, and restoration that needs to happen. Our program participants in Chicago, Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East have faced extraordinary challenges these last four years – many as direct results of actions taken by the current administration. And, COVID-19 has only exacerbated their situation. HAI recognizes that President-Elect Biden must make amends for past harms and focus on policies that protect and promote the rights of immigrants, refugees, LGBTQI+ people, people of all faiths, and Black and Indigenous communities. Our shared responsibility to create a society that prioritizes and secures human rights depends not only on President-Elect Biden, but on our ability to hold his administration – and each other – accountable.  

HAI looks forward to working with the incoming administration to increase international development and humanitarian response efforts as the world gets back on track to deliver the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Together, we will advocate for progressive, feminist approaches to foreign policy that center gender equity, including ending the Global Gag Rule, which restricts access to sexual and reproductive health care. In the pursuit of justice, HAI will rise to the challenge of confronting systemic racism, reimagining public safety, and rebuilding our legal systems to focus on restorative justice, harm reduction, and trauma informed approaches. And, we will work tirelessly towards a transformative immigration agenda that rebuilds and expands our pipeline for serving refugees and asylum seekers to meet the unparalleled global need.

We don’t do this work alone, and we see the next four years as an opportunity to work in strategic partnerships and to refocus on the issues that drive our work at HAI. Our aspirations to ensure global access to health and healing, safety and justice, and economic opportunity cannot take place without the robust collaboration and fortitude of our global community. We are inspired by your ongoing support of our work and look forward to together achieving Equity and Opportunity for all.

Stay safe and well.

Warmly,

Surita Sandosham
Executive Director, Heartland Alliance International

Look Inside: Peret Shikse, Heartland Alliance International, Nigeria

Title: Project Coordinator 
Company: Heartland Alliance International 
Location: Northeast Nigeria 
Favorite Color: Yellow 
Favorite Food: Nigerian pounded yam and vegetable soup

How did you get into this work? My first vision of doing this work came when I was writing my master’s thesis, and I finally ventured into the work fully after my master’s program. I have a burning passion to help vulnerable and most-at-risk populations, especially those affected by conflict and human trafficking. It gives me joy to ensure they have access to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), so that they’re able to overcome their psychological distresses. Today, I am fulfilling my heart’s desire with my dream come true career and I am doing everything within my reach to ensure that I make a meaningful, positive, and lasting impact in the lives of the people I meet.

Why is this work important to the community and those we serve?  This work serves as an avenue for successful rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable and affected populations. We ensure survivors return to a healthy social environment devoid of discrimination, stigma, community exclusion, harmful traditional practices, poor self-esteem, and dissociation. By changing the narrative and returning people’s sense of belong and ownership, we are building more resilient communities. 

Was there a moment where you knew you were in the right job?  Yes, I know and always feel that I am doing the right job. Most especially when I successfully rehabilitate and reintegrate victims of trafficking back to their communities and families and I follow up and receive positive feedback on both the victim’s, families and the community’s well-being, social acceptance, protection and inclusion of the victim in the community.

What is your favorite part of your job? What I like most about my job is the fact that I always have the opportunity to interact with the vulnerable and most-at-risk especially victims of trafficking and help them with all the necessary MHPSS based on the needs identified, building their resilience, coping skills, and social support systems through family, group or individual counseling.

How can others get involved in your work? Everyone can get involved in my work! It’s our collective responsibility to raise our voices and demand an end to human trafficking. It’s everyone’s business to know how to prevent and mitigate trafficking in persons and we need to engage in rugged awareness raising —  in our neighborhoods, places of worship, businesses, and social media to spread the message and #ENDHUMANTRAFFICKING. 

Why is mental health awareness so important, especially during COVID-19? A person’s mental health and well-being are paramount in life. But, we tend to ignore or deny all the early warning signs of distress and later suffer greater consequences. That’s why it is so important to pay attention to our mental health, ascertain when something is wrong, and immediately seek help without delay or procrastination, especially during COVID-19 when there are so many risk factors and psychological triggers. 

How do you practice self-care or preserve your mental health well-being? Any tips for our readers? I must confess this is a very scintillating question. Like so many of my MHPSS colleagues, I forget to consider my own mental health or how my work is affecting my life and well-being. But, self-care is significant and should be prioritized. Some ways I practice self-care include: 

  • Physical self-care by eating healthy, exercise, getting enough sleep, take time off from work when I am sick, taking vacations, going for shopping, wear clothes I like, do physical activities that are fun to me, get away from stressful technology such as cell phones and e-mail, get regular medical care for the prevention and get medical care when I need etc.
  • Emotional self-care by means of spending time with others whose company I enjoy, stay in contact with important people in my life, treat myself kindly (support inner dialogue or positive self-talk), feel proud of myself, reread favorite books, review favorite movies or music, identify and seek out comforting activities, objects, people, relationships, places, allow myself to cry, find things that make me laugh, express my outrage or anger in a constructive way and play with children etc.
  • Spiritual self-care by making time for reflection, meditation, prayer, participate in the spiritual gathering, community or group, being open to inspiration, cherish my optimism and hope, identify what is meaningful to me and notice its place in my life, listening to inspiring music/singing or playing music, express gratitude, celebrate milestones, nurture others, have awe-full experiences, contribute to or participate in courses I believe in and read inspirational literature etc.
  • Professional/work self-care by taking my time to eat lunch, chat with co-workers, identify projects or tasks that are exciting, growth-promoting, and rewarding for me, setting limits with clients and colleagues, arrange my workspace so it is comfortable and comforting, getting regular supervision or consultation, negotiating for my needs, delegate – learn to ask for help, have a peer support group, have a transition from work to home balance my workload as much as possible etc.

HAI Continues Delivering Healthcare in Côte d’Ivoire Amidst Pandemic

While the COVID-19 pandemic affects us all in one way or another, it takes a heavier toll on those of us who are less privileged and more vulnerable, including stigmatized groups. In Côte d’Ivoire, LGBTQ+ individuals, sex workers, and people who use drugs face significant barriers to life-saving health care that contribute to alarming rates of misinformation and health disparities, now exacerbated by COVID-19. 

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) began working in Côte d’Ivoire in 2010, providing high-quality HIV care, mental health and psychosocial support, and legal services to marginalized individuals in a stigma-free environment. Today, HAI continues its health care work in West Africa while also responding to multiple crises across the globe that show no signs of slowing down. We remain steadfast in our commitment to compassionately deliver services, provide tools and practical support, and help build the resiliency needed to survive this pandemic and other emergencies.

To support Heartland Alliance International’s human rights work in Côte d’Ivoire and across the globe, make a donation online. 

>> BACK TO: HAI’S GLOBAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19

HAI Distributes Emergency Food Assistance in Nigeria

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All (SARRA) is an inclusive, intersectional human rights and movement-building project to reach marginalized women and girls in Nigeria with relevant healthcare information and services. To implement this project, Heartland Alliance International (HAI) builds the capacity of grassroots organizations that are best positioned to mobilize their peers around sexual and reproductive health issues, and call upon policymakers and service providers to serve ALL with respect and dignity. SARRA empowers women and girls, regardless of their social status, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression, to assert their rights and demand more for themselves. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, HAI modified its activities to deliver emergency assistance to vulnerable women and girls in remote areas of Nigeria. With your support, we can reach more individuals and families with food, hygiene, and health materials. Donate today!