TAKE ACTION
More details about CHASTE's work can be found at www.chaste.org.uk. Our website gives ideas how individuals and churches can support the work of ending trafficking for sexual exploitation. You can support this project by …
1Supporting a Not For Sale Sunday in your church
2Raising funds through events
3Organising a meeting to discuss this matter
4Becoming an advocate for CHASTE in your community, school and church
Raise Funds
What your gifts can buy:
£22,000Improve Lagos airport reception of returned trafficked women (per annum)
£18,100Train therapists and counsellors
£25,000Ongoing costs, per annum, of a trained worker
£15,000 Support communities to enable the successful return of those trafficked back into their families
£30,000Micro-business training and rehabilitation skills for the reintegration of women into their communities.
MONEY RAISED
Donations should be sent to CHASTE at PO Box 983, Cambridge, CB3 8WY. Donate online at www.chaste.org.uk
Introduction
CHASTE is an ecumenical charity which supports women who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation. It has inspired the opening of safe houses in the UK and seeks to do so in countries of origin. CHASTE sets its face against the culture of demand for trafficked women and works closely with the Government and police in assisting the process of eradicating the evil of trafficking.
CHASTE believes passionately in the ecumencial approach of bringing all to the table who can take practical action through projects which engage with the issues of why trafficking takes place and supporting those caught up in it. It will work with all Government agencies, NGOs and Churches committed to this.
CHASTE wishes to raise funding for its proposed project in Nigeria.
topThe country
External trafficking from Nigeria is not a new phenomenon and women are regularly lured by traffickers with false promises of better life in European and West African countries. Typical destination countries in Europe include Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and increasingly Norway and the United Kingdom. The Middle East is also a destination point for Nigerian women most notable Libya and Saudi Arabia. Every year is is estimated that thousands of women are trafficked out of Nigeria into the sex markets of Europe and America. In 2006 during the UK wide police Operation Pentameter; several African women were rescued from trafficking for Sexual Exploitation by police forces across the UK some of whom were from Nigeria. CHASTE has worked with several survivors of sex trafficking from Nigeria since our inception in 2004.
Case study
Amoti thought it was one of the most significant days of her life. Her little ramshackle stall made of woven matete, was weighed down with plastic bags filled with tap water to sell to the thirsty commuters of Lagos. A flamboyantly dressed Yoruba woman approached her. 'Would you like to come and look after my children rather than sell water on the streets?' she asked her. Within hours her life had been transformed. At Mama Edi's house she looked after two small boisterous children, whilst their mother undertook her import export business. She had her own room! And her clothes provided for her. Not since before her parents had died from HIV Aids had she been so happy. Time passed, the children were ready to go to Secondary school and Amoti's work changed to that of assistant housekeeper in Mama Edi's Lagos compound.
One day after a particularly long and enthusiastic church service, Mama Edi introduced me to a friend of hers who lived in Great Britain! She was so friendly and excited to offer me the post of a nanny to her young son—in a house overlooking the River Thames! In no time I was on a plane to London, with smart warm clothes for the cold British weather. But the plane landed in Dublin, and Mama Edi's friend did not meet me. Another woman who was Ghanaian met me and brought me to the house. There instead of a young boy of three, I was met by a Winston, a young Ibo man and three young women about my age. Winston was very friendly, took me by the hand and showed me to my room. After a cup of tea together and some bread and blue band, he raped me. This was my work from now on. To be ready to receive and entertain the men who Mama Luka arranged to come to the house. Did I understand? Did I know how to use Durex?
I cried, I pleaded no, this is not what I wanted, not what I had come for, where were the children? I wanted to look after Mama Edi's friends son—but Winston did not listen. I was left sobbing on the bed—my new blouse bought only two days ago in the market in Lagos ripped, my thoughts confused, my hopes for a new life shattered.
Amoti's story is the combination of three young Nigerian women's accounts. These and several other young African women have been helped by CHASTE to access safe housing and support whilst their cases are heard by Asylum tribunals. The majority of these young women are currently returned to their source countries under current UK immigration law and lacunae in counter trafficking legislation and protection.
topHistory
During the early summer of 2006 CHASTE carried out research in Nigeria looking at projects which supported women who had been returned to Nigeria after being trafficked for sexual exploitation into Europe. This was with a purpose of identifying the needs of these projects and the survivors of trafficking. This revealed the following top priorities for recovery which need urgent attention:
- Many of those survivors who are being deported back to Nigeria from European countries are not treated as victims but can be caught in the category of common criminals. For some of CHASTE's clients their experience of re-entry at Lagos International Airport has been problematic and there is a risk to re-trafficking, intimidation and anxiety; compounding psycho-social needs as a result of retraumitization that occurs during deportation and upon arrival.
- Adequate psychosocial services are not currently available for victims of trafficking in Nigeria. Though all the agencies working directly with victims offer some type of counseling most do not have a professionally trained psychologist on staff and the few that do, have an overwhelming patient to counselor ratio not allowing for adequate individual attention.
- Though rehabilitation is recognized as the cornerstone to successful reintegration into the community, this is an area that all anti-trafficking organizations in Nigeria recognise as needing substantial improvement. CHASTE is anxious to see micro-credit opportunties developed as sustainable alternatives for income generation for survivors to build a future away from the abuse of prostitution and their trafficking indebtedness.
- Unfortunately many of the rehabilitation programs lack the skills or capacity to teach basic accounting, business or money management skills. These are essential for the success of even the most basic traditional areas of women’s enterprises such as hairdressing, tailoring or baking. CHASTE will be partnering both Governement and Faith community programmes to see the development of business- skill training as an integral part of any rehabilitation program.
topThe project
CHASTE is now working towards raising funds to develop in partnership with Nigerian churches and NGOs projects which will:
- Improve Lagos airport reception of returned trafficked women. This project requires the employment of a worker at the airport and supporing costs amounting to £22,000 per annum.
- Train therapists and counsellors in the professional skills required in Safe houses already in place in Nigeria. This project requires training costs of £18,100 and ongoing costs of a trained worker of £25,000 per annum.
- Support faith community work in confronting the issues of indebtedness and collussion with traffickers which habitually menace the successful reception of women back to their families. This project will cost £15,000 per annum to a community group which is willing to take this work forward.
- Provide micro-business training and rehabilitation skills for the reintegration of women into their communities. This project will require a set up cost of £30,000.