7 Children Rescued from Human Trafficking

Senanga district administration  in western province has rescued six teenage girls and a boy who were allegedly trafficked to Namibia to work as prostitutes and domestic workers.

Ministry of Gender Permanent Secretary Auxilia Ponga has praised Senanga District Administration for retrieving six teenage girls and a boy who were allegedly trafficked to Namibia to work as prostitutes and domestic workers.

Dr. Ponga says young women and girls are vulnerable to the scourge as they are coerced to engaging in sexual exploitation and domestic work.

Dr Ponga says human trafficking is a crime that violates human rights and poses a threat to diseases and sometimes leads to the death of victims especially young ones.

She has urged families to avoid falling prey to promises of decent jobs and scholarships from untrusted sources whose intentions are to exploit their children through forced labor and prostitution.

In a statement made available to q-news by  ministry of gender Media Liaison Officer Mwape Mwenya, Dr. Ponga says though the country is facing high levels of unemployment, families should be assertive and investigate suspicions offers of jobs within and outside the country.

Dr Ponga has observed the need for concerted efforts from government line ministries, civil society Organisations, faith based organizations, the immigration department and the media to raise awareness on human trafficking so as to cage the scourge.

She says human trafficking affects all age groups and gender especially in impoverished communities in rural and peri-urban areas.

Dr Ponga says it is sad to note that Zambia is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking and it is for this reason that the anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee should be reinforced to combat the vice.

She says strengthening the anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee will enhance government`s efforts to providing shelters for survivors of human trafficking and provide training for investigators, the police, the judiciary and other stakeholders.