“According to the Trafficking in Persons Report from 2020, estimates determined that traffickers are currently exploiting 7,000 to 12,000 children through sex trafficking in Uganda. The report also outlines how human trafficking in Uganda primarily takes the form of forced physical labor and sexual exploitation.”
-The Borgen Project
The Government of Uganda has slowly implemented different procedures to better identify victims of human trafficking and even signed the National Referral Guidelines for Management of Victims of Trafficking in Uganda. While progress is being made, the anti human trafficking efforts being reported pale in comparison to need that is in Uganda.
In 2021, Uganda’s government investigated fewer trafficking cases and convicted fewer alleged perpetrators, making preventative measures feel futile without follow through.
There is still so much that must be done to ensure that victims of sexual exploitation are rescued, protected, and given the restorative care they need, but we are playing an active part in this fight through the help of one of our partners.
Christine Gelatt started Freedom 4/24 her junior year of college after witnessing sexual exploitation first hand on a summer trip to Southeast Asia. She quickly learned of the worldwide pervasiveness of human trafficking and sexual slavery and was led to do something to stand against it.
Situated in Gulu, Uganda, Christine’s House is a place of hope and restoration where victims and survivors of sexual exploitation can learn to breathe again. Since its completion in 2012, Freedom 4/24 has funded the operating costs of Christine’s House while Sports Outreach Institute provides the staff to mentor, encourage, and empower the young women who live there.
Their work through the house and other outreach programs impact the lives of many children across Uganda. Among the girls who have found healing at Christine’s House, one of them is soon-to-be mother, Mercy.
Meet Mercy: 16 years old
Pictured: Mercy, 16 in front of Christine's House in Gulu, Uganda
Mercy is a 16-year-old girl who is six months pregnant currently living at Christine’s House in Gulu, Uganda. Mercy is the second of four children who were being raised by their mother who suffers with a disability. Mercy’s parents separated when she was young, leaving her mother to provide for the children on her own. Her mother struggled to pay the children’s school fees, buy sanitary pads, or even shoes. Her mother began farming on a small scale just to feed her family.
A 20-year-old man approached Mercy and offered to provide everything for her if she became his “girlfriend.” He paid her school fees and basic necessities she once struggled to get. He provided for her in exchange for sex. Soon, Mercy became pregnant and upon hearing this news, the man fled the village and has not been heard from since. Mercy was in desperate need of help to provide for her child and when staff from Christine’s House announced they were registering girls for their home, she signed up.
Before going to Christine’s House, Mercy was living at home and said she was beginning to to harbor alot of bitterness towards her situation and the pain that came with it.
“During that time, I was home and had a lot of bitterness. But when I came here, we were taught alot and the bitterness disappeared. For example - staying calm, living without anger, living with joy, and the word of God is what we were always taught,” said Mercy in Acholi.
While at Christine’s House, the girls are given tools to begin their healing journey. They are also taught things like hair dressing, baking, and computer skills they will be able to utilize in the future.
We cannot provide care for girls like Mercy without your help.
When you give financially, they can heal holistically.
Give today and be an Ally for girls like Mercy.
Help us meet our $32,400 goal to fund the operation of Christine’s House and give a one-time donation.
$24 a month or more provides freedom and further’s the mission of prevention and restoration.
Resources:
https://borgenproject.org
https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/uganda/