Kenya - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director, Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, and Hollywood actor, Nicolas Cage, today visited the Eastleigh Community Wellness Center, an IOM Health Facility in Nairobi, to learn first hand about IOM Kenya's activities in the fight against human trafficking as well as see the health facilities offered to Somali urban refugees and host community at the Centre.
The IOM Wellness Centre, located in Eastleigh, a section of Nairobi where thousands of Somali and Ethiopian urban refugees live, offers Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services for those who would like to know their HIV Status, Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), TB diagnosis, TB-DOTS and piloting community-based activities such as child wellness days, within IOM's core mandate of building Member State capacity to manage migration health. The Centre is available as a resource to both migrants and host communities.
"This is a visit to explore and discuss counter-trafficking activities in Kenya and meet with IOM and its partners in counter-trafficking initiatives", said Tal Raviv, MRF Nairobi's Regional Project Development Officer and Counter Trafficking Expert.
IOM and its counter-trafficking partners, the Centre for Domestic Training and Development (CDTD) and Ngazi Moja, spoke with the guests and briefed them on counter-trafficking initiatives in Kenya. Mr. Cage and Mr. Costa were particularly interested in how IOM and its partners raise awareness and put the message out to the community on human trafficking. Additionally the visitors spoke with patients visiting the clinic who are refugees and migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia.
Human trafficking has evolved into one of the most tragic features of contemporary global migration. Kenya has been identified as a country of origin, transit, and destination for victims of human trafficking. Internal trafficking is wide spread as well international trafficking and occurs for purposes of domestic labour and sexual exploitation, and forced labour. Women and children are the main victims. The refugee population in Kenya, mainly Somalis, as well as economic migrants has been identified as particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Other vulnerable populations include those Kenyans affected by internal conflict and protracted drought in selected parts of the country. Cases of trafficking have been identified from all parts of the country.
IOM Counter Trafficking initiatives in Kenya have been operational for the last four years with funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi. Activities include: enhancing the capacity of the Ministry of Labour to manage labour migration and prevent labour trafficking; promoting the enactment of legislation of which a draft Anti-Trafficking in Persons Bill has been developed with technical assistance from IOM ready for tabling in Parliament; provision of technical assistance to the Government of Kenya in drafting a National Plan of Action to combat human trafficking; prevention through information dissemination and community outreach; capacity building through training; establishment of a shelter to assist victims of trafficking; and promotion of coordination and cooperation among various stakeholders in order to enhance partnerships and referrals for victims in need of support.
Funding from the Government of Japan has in the last nine months facilitated outreach activities to communities in North Eastern Province, a significant source area for victims of trafficking and other forms of irregular migrants destined for Eastleigh (Nairobi), South Africa and other parts of the world. This campaign targeted religious leaders, community leaders, government officers, civil society partners and community members and was implemented through radio talk shows, training workshops, theatre performances, and public barazas (community meetings).
On the 12th of November, IOM launched a nationwide media campaign dubbed "Kaa Chonjo" (Watch Out!) that utilizes multimedia channels of communication to reach a wider audience, specifically in Northern Kenya and the North Rift Valley where drought and food crisis, civil and political unrest has made community members vulnerable to trafficking.
"These factors disrupt social and economic support systems within communities and create conducive environments for traffickers to recruit, transport and exploit women, children and men," said IOM's Raviv.
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