Weak laws contribute to child trafficking in Malawi

Malawi continues to experience an increase in the case of women and child trafficking due to weak laws, poverty, limited education and awareness, according to YouthNet and Counselling (YONECO) vice board chair Nanzen Kaphagawani

He said this during the closing ceremony of a two weeks training on REFLECT at Naming’azu trading centre in the old capital city of Malawi, Zomba.

Kaphagawani said traffickers take advantage of the vulnerability of the victims to lure them, noting that poverty, lack of awareness, limited education and weak laws being some of the contributing factors that render women and children vulnerable.

She then informed the participants that in an effort to fight cases of women, YONECO has been implementing a project called “Dzukani: Mobilizing Communities in Responding the Trafficking of Women and Children in Malawi” in Ntcheu, Balaka and Mangochi with funding from Norwegian Church Aid.

Pupils at Mendulo Primary School in new uniforms provided by AYISE….Photo Jeromy Kadewere

The project aims at contributing towards the reduction of cases of women and child trafficking for sexual purposes at community level.

She said the project has increased awareness among community members against child and women trafficking.

And that it has also enhancing community capacity to effectively prevent women and child trafficking and provide support services for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the victims of child and women trafficking at community levels.

However, Kaphagawani noted that low literacy levels affect the community members understanding on critical issues that promotes trafficking as others are not able to detect would be traffickers.

She then said it was on this basis that YONECO decided to conduct the training in line with one of the objectives of the project that is to build the capacity of community volunteers in community education for livelihood and development.

The training drew participants from TA Mpando (Ntcheu), TA Kalembo (Balaka) and TA Chowe (Mangochi) where Dzukani project is being implemented.