THE PROMISE OF A BETTER LIFE

Major Heather Matondo, Sponsorship Co-ordinator for the International Development Department in the Canada and Bermuda Territory, shares about The Salvation Army’s work to combat child trafficking in Malawi.

Malawi is known as the heart of Africa, and while many tourists flock to the country to enjoy the adventure, wildlife and scenery, The Salvation Army is busy combating something else that many people may not even be aware of – human trafficking.

It is estimated that 30 million people are being trafficked worldwide, many of whom are deceived by the promise of a better life. Whilst the global average of children is 20 per cent of all victims, in many parts of Africa children make up the majority of those who are trafficked. The main factor which drives human trafficking in Malawi is poverty with 50.7 per cent of the population living below the poverty line.

Mchinji is located on the west side of the country, just a few kilometres from the border with Zambia. This area is one of the major receiving districts of trafficked children and it is here that The Salvation Army established the Mchinji Anti Child-Trafficking Centre. The purpose of Mchinji is to rescue children from trafficking and improve their physical, economic and socioeconomic wellbeing.

Isaiah 61:1-2 says, ‘The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.’

The centre can accommodate up to 40 children and not only provides a physical space to stay but also access to counselling, education, medical care and spiritual support. Another important component of the programme is to teach various life skills such as carpentry, tailoring and farming, which will help provide a sustainable income.

Once the children are rescued there is an intentional effort to reunite them with their families or communities. The Mchinji team continue to follow up and provide support to the children and their families.

Kandaya is one of the children The Salvation Army has supported at Mchinji. One of six siblings, Kandaya (14) dropped out of school at a young age to help provide an income for his family by doing casual labour. One day Kandaya’s family was approached by a man named Mr Banda who presented an opportunity for one of the boys to travel with him to work on a farm. Alongside the farm work, which would generate income for his family, the boy would have a place to live and an opportunity to attend school. An advance payment was made up front and Kandaya’s family released the boy to Mr Banda.

Mr Banda travelled with Kandaya to Zambia, but then left him in the care of a taxi driver to transport him to the farm. Upon arrival, things looked good. The farm was big and there were lots of cattle. Kandaya believed this would be a good opportunity both for him and for his family. However, the promise of a better life was not Kandaya’s reality.

Kandaya only received one meal a day, was instructed to bathe himself in the same river where he brought the cows to drink, was not allowed to attend school and had no time to play.

Kandaya often thought of leaving, but at the age of 14 he did not know how he would be able to get home. One day while herding the cattle, a child protection worker approached Kandaya and brought him to the labour office where the police became involved.

After Kandaya was rescued, he was blessed to be placed in the care of The Salvation Army at Mchinji. While there he learned to write his name, received counselling, was able to learn new life skills and started attending church. He now has a much more positive outlook on life and would one day like to become a teacher, but would also like to farm so that he can help his family and local community. He believes that now he truly has the opportunity of a better life.

Prevention is another aspect of the work at Mchinji. Knowing that the rate of child trafficking is so high in the area, a lot of time and resources are put towards education and awareness-raising activities. Child anti-trafficking prevention teams bring awareness to entire communities and schools, but also to specific individuals such as taxi drivers, truck drivers and bicycle operators.

The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory partners with the Canada and Bermuda Territory to provide funding to the Mchinji Centre. The Salvation Army in Malawi is working at all levels to ensure a cohesive and holistic response to human trafficking. We are committed to working together across territories and do all that we can to ensure children are safeguarded from the dangers of human trafficking and given the opportunity of a bright future.