On 18 December 2024, YONECO conducted sensitization sessions about Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Phalombe district as various factors including the increased cost of living and hunger have made community members in borderland areas vulnerable to the vice.
The current socio-economic challenges have made communities more willing to take risks in search of better opportunities thereby being susceptible to trafficking.
The awareness sessions aimed to empower community members with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from exploitation. In addition, the sessions are expected to contribute towards enhancing community resilience and building an informed community that ably identifies and report TIP activities.
Phalombe district is located in the Southern Region of Malawi and it is bordered by Zomba to the North and North East, Mulanje to the South and the other part is surrounded by the Republic of Mozambique. As such, the geographical position and other factors like high levels of poverty and increased demand for farm workers especially during the rainy season makes the district a significant hotspot for TIP.
The communities were made aware of various provision that are contained in the country’s TIP Act of 2015.
As a whole, Malawi is a transit, destination and source of trafficked persons hence the need for concerted efforts to effectively prevent and combat the vice.
