Human Trafficking “a deep concern” for the Church in Africa: Talitha Kum Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwean-born official of the Talitha Kum Network, which supports victims of trafficking as well as refugees and migrants in the Southern African nation, noted that the human trafficking challenge is of great concern to the Church in Africa because it affects the most vulnerable, including women, children, refugees, the poor, and the unemployed.

“These are the groups the Church is called to defend,” she said, and went on to highlight some of the forms of exploitation they face, including: “forced labour, sexual slavery, organ harvesting, or child soldiering.”

Sr. Kanyere, who was a panelist during a session on human trafficking on August 13, the fourth day of the IF20 Forum, emphasized that the Church in Africa “must be a voice addressing not only spiritual needs but also systemic injustice.”

Among her recommendations as church leader to the G20 summit is the need to put in place a mechanism for “cross border intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and harmonized laws to close loopholes exploited by traffickers.” 

“We would also ask as a Church and support the G20 commitments to address poverty, unemployment, climate change, inequality, and conflicts. These are factors that affect Africans vulnerable to trafficking,” she said.

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The Catholic nun called for additional support towards the rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of human trafficking, saying, “As a Church, we do a lot of work but we are not supported. When victims return to us, they are often left without resources.”

“The Church has a duty to stand against all these injustices and to be a strong voice for the family, the community, and the most vulnerable in our midst,” said Sr. Kanyere from Zimbabwe, who was part of a delegation of women Religious from African countries at the IF20, including Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

She described her experience at the forum bringing together faith-based leaders, civil society groups, multilateral organizations, government representatives, and scholars to seek collaborative solutions to critical global challenges as “very enriching and inspiring.”

“It's my first time attending the G20 Interfaith Forum. It has been a worthwhile time. I have seen the importance of Ubuntu, the power of getting together from different nationalities and sharing the same goal,” said Sr. Kanyere during the August 13 interview with ACI Africa.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.