Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kasese (Agenzia Fides) - Each human being is precious and worth much more than any material good, and since each life is a gift from God and is sacred, it deserves to be protected and cared for; each of us has the responsibility to fight against the violation and degradation of our brothers and sisters. Under these teachings of Catholic social doctrine, the nuns grouped in the Association of Religious of Uganda (ARU) direct several networks, among them the fight against human trafficking, led by the Sisters of the Holy Cross who, in their time, have formed several committees in the nineteen dioceses of the African country.
Specifically, on June 23, a campaign was launched in the diocese of Kasese that attracted a large audience animated by "Omukekera", a live show against human trafficking, staged by the staff of the local Kasese radio station Guide Radio in collaboration with the anti-trafficking committee.
During the campaign launch, Sister Semerita Mbambu urged young victims to attend qualified courses in their home country to support themselves, instead of going abroad and being abused to death. As research into the phenomenon highlights, men and women from Uganda, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Pakistan and the Philippines travel mainly to the United Arab Emirates and the Arab States of the Persian Gulf to work as domestic employees. Unfortunately, they often face inhumane conditions of servitude with excessive unpaid working hours, illegal retention of passports, restrictions on movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse at the hands of their own employers.
In March 2014, Pope Francis, along with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, launched the Interfaith Global Freedom Network to fight human trafficking, as well as the Santa Marta Group, an international coalition of senior law enforcement leaders and Catholic Church leaders working with civil society to put an end to this crime. The Pontiff also launched the #End Slavery movement to investigate how to eliminate human trafficking. Human trafficking is quite widespread on the African continent, According to data collected by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, trafficking victims of sub-Saharan origin have been registered in 69 countries, mainly in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries and in southern and western Europe. Among adults, trafficking is made up almost exclusively of women mainly from Nigeria and Uganda.
The diocese of Kasesee, established in 1989 by the then Pope John Paul II, is located in the western region of Uganda. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2024)
