Guest blogger: Claire Schreder
July 30th marks the tenth anniversary of the United Nations’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. The theme for 2024 is “Leave no child behind.” This day calls for urgent and accelerated action to end child trafficking. By designating July 30th as a special observance, the United Nations promotes international awareness and action. This day offers governments, civil society, and public and private sectors, schools, universities, and citizens to use this day as a springboard for awareness-raising actions.
Human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime and the second-largest criminal enterprise globally. Children are trafficked for various purposes, for the purpose of exploitation, which includes sexual exploitation, recruitment into armed forces, and forced labor. An estimated 1.2 million children are affected by trafficking at any given time, and two out of every three trafficked children are girls. There are various factors that increase childrens’ vulnerability to trafficking, such as poverty, political instability, unemployment, gender inequality, and lack of access to educational opportunities and resources.
Studio Samuel is passionately committed to the global fight against human trafficking, with a particular focus on child trafficking. This mission was inspired by our founder, Tamara Horton, who traveled to Ethiopia to adopt her son. While there, she was moved to action after meeting a young girl who had been a victim of child sex trafficking due to being denied an education. This encounter profoundly influenced Studio Samuel's mission, making the prevention of child trafficking, especially for girls, a central focus of our work.
At Studio Samuel, we believe education plays a crucial role in preventing child trafficking by addressing its root causes and equipping children with the knowledge and skills they need to protect themselves.
By providing children with basic literacy and vocational skills, education opens up economic opportunities. Educated individuals are less likely to be exploited because they have better employment prospects and are not as vulnerable to traffickers who prey on those in desperate economic situations.
Additionally, education is one of the most effective tools for reducing poverty. By lifting families out of poverty, the economic incentives for trafficking diminish, and children are less likely to be sold or forced into exploitative situations.
Education also promotes gender equality by challenging harmful gender norms and practices that make girls particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Educated girls are less likely to be victims of child marriage or pregnancy, reducing the risk of being trafficked.
Studio Samuel employs effective educational methods, combining academic learning with practical business skills. Within six months, 94% of girls who joined Studio Samuel experienced improved grades. Additionally, 580 women in our community to date have received micro-loans to start or grow their businesses, with a remarkable 90% repayment rate.
Through our efforts, we aim to equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to protect themselves and build a brighter future, free from the threat of trafficking.
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