BDS recently commemorated World Day Against Human Trafficking in Lesotho. The event was held in the mountain alpine village of Qacha’s Nek and organized by a local partner, Cardio Health And Fitness.
BDS staff members traveled four hours to get to the remote village. Many of the attendees were dressed in their traditional clothing, and they had posters raising awareness about human trafficking.
The day started with a parade and walk through the middle of town. Participants chanted and sang while volunteers distributed pamphlets educating the townspeople about human trafficking. At the end of the walk, four young adults performed spoken word to inspire the crowd.
BDS also had an opportunity to visit the local police station to interview some potential trafficking victims. We saw a nearby border prone to human trafficking and gained valuable insight to improve our prevention efforts.
Human slavery has been illegal in many developed countries since 1865, but slavery was only outlawed and defined as a crime in Lesotho in 2011. Basotho has several traditional customs encouraging human trafficking, such as forced child shepherding and forced marriage. In these instances, orphaned boys are ‘sold’ by family members to wool and mohair growers, and the family receives compensation for the boys’ services. Orphaned girls are ‘sold’ to men as second or third wives, but they usually end up as slaves. These children are not allowed to attend school, and this crime forever alters their lives.
The Basotho community of Qacha’s Nek is finally starting to understand the dangers of these traditions, specifically in the way they prey upon HIV-positive orphans. They are taking steps to spread awareness, thanks largely to contributions from Beautiful Dream Society.
BDS has been an advocate against human trafficking since 2009. We established our shelter for female victims of trafficking in 2011, and we continue to improve our trafficking prevention efforts. If you’d like to join our mission, check out our donation and volunteer pages to learn more.
