Atyang has always dreamt of going to Kampala where traffic lights and lights are everywhere. Atyang’s aunty Diana who usually sends money and food from Kampala for everyone called and offered to help to raise Atyang. After a long discussion, Atyang’s mother agreed to allow Atyang to live in Kampala on condition that Atyang goes to a good school.
Since then, all Atyang does is sort beans for sale in Nakasero market, Serve food and wash dishes at Aunty Diana’s restaurant. When Atyang asked about school, she was told that the money she was making was not enough for school and it was being sent back to her mother to look after her 11 siblings. Atyang has also been told that she will need to start learning how to ‘keep’ the male customers happy.
WHAT DOES THE LAW CALL THIS ACT?
What happened to Atyang, is what the law calls human trafficking. In Uganda, a law called the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2009 says that human trafficking is illegal and a crime.
By law, human trafficking means the recruitment, transportation, receiving or keeping of people so that they can be exploited sexually or for labour (work).
Sometimes this is done using either threats, force, fraud, or deceit (lies) to gain control over them such as when Aunty Diana promised her sister that she would look after Atyang and send her to school but instead planned to use her as a labourer.
Another example is where someone is taken or goes abroad for ‘kyeyo’ and this person is not paid, their passport confiscated while they are used for sex work or doing all other donkey work. This is also human trafficking.
30th July is celebrated by the UN as the World Day Against Trafficking of Persons.
#EndHumanTrafficking
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