When people think of human trafficking, they often picture women and girls caught in situations of sexual exploitation. And while that reality is tragically common, it’s not the whole picture. Trafficking affects men, women, and children alike, and in Lesotho, the Beautiful Dream Society is working hard to protect them all.
Through our Transit Monitoring Program, we identify individuals at the border who may be vulnerable to trafficking. Some are traveling under false pretenses. Others are being coerced by someone they trust. Our team works at key border points to intercept these situations before exploitation begins, and this past month, that work took on new strength through an unexpected partnership.
Military collaboration: A stronger front line
In August, BDS conducted our first-ever joint monitoring operations with Lesotho’s military at the Mafeteng and Maputsoe border stations. While the military typically focuses on enforcing border control, these new collaborative efforts sharply focused on a shared goal: stopping human trafficking before it starts.
This partnership is about more than shared resources; it’s a recognition that border security and victim protection go hand-in-hand. It also provides employment and purpose for military personnel, many of whom are from the same communities as the vulnerable individuals they’re helping to protect. Their involvement isn’t just symbolic. It’s practical, impactful, and deeply needed.
Labor trafficking in plain sight
One recent case reminds us that men can be victims, too. At the Caledon border, BDS monitors intercepted four Basotho men who were deported from South Africa after working in illegal mining. They had been imprisoned and returned to Lesotho with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Despite everything, they told our team they wanted to return, even without food, shelter, or resources. They spoke of a “boss” who controlled their earnings and dictated their movements. That’s trafficking. Without our monitors’ intervention, these men would likely have crossed again, risking their lives all over.
Stories like these challenge stereotypes. Trafficking isn’t just about forced sex work. It’s about exploitation, control, and desperation, and those dangers don’t discriminate by gender.
Expanding the vision
With the military by our side, BDS hopes to expand our presence at vulnerable border points. More stations, more training, more lives saved. These partnerships also signal something hopeful: that protecting people from trafficking is no longer the responsibility of one organization alone.
It’s a shared mission. And with your support, we can continue building it.
Every dollar you give to Beautiful Dream Society helps us keep borders safer, train more monitors, and build partnerships that change lives. Whether someone is trying to escape violence or simply earn enough to survive, they deserve protection and dignity.
Thank you for standing with us, for all people.