A serious child trafficking case was prevented in Southern Ethiopia, in the Wolaita Zone, thanks to intervention from members of the community who had been trained by Hope for Justice.
When two sisters attempted to sell five children for between 1,000 and 17,000 Ethiopian Birr, they expected to get away with it. 1,000 Birr is equivalent to about £4.70 or $6.30; 17,000 Birr is about £80 or $107.
But children from school-based Child Wellbeing Clubs (CWCs) run by Hope for Justice, women from one of our Self-Help Groups (small savings groups), and members of community organisations rallied together to ensure the case was reported and addressed.
The two sisters were placed under legal investigation for the suspected trafficking activities in Zala-Shasha Woreda. They were later prosecuted and handed social sanctions.
Altaye Agebo, a community representative, said: “This response did not happen by accident. It was the direct result of months of awareness sessions run by Hope for Justice. These sessions were the turning point, creating a sense of collective responsibility. When the trafficking attempt occurred, the community organised.”
Three groups worked together on this case:
- Children at the Child Wellbeing Clubs, who had been trained to spot the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking, called for the incident to be reported to the police.
- Women from the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) run by Hope for Justice used their collective voice to call for the suspects to be held accountable.
- Local groups mobilised community leaders and the Iddir to use their social by-laws to hold a public hearing and issue sanctions.
Almaz Yoseph, a member of our SHG who lives in the woreda, said: “The protection of five children not only prevented immediate harm but also strengthened community vigilance, accountability, and long-term commitment to safeguarding children in our area. This story clearly demonstrates the strong and complementary roles of school-based Child Wellbeing Clubs as frontline defenders, Community-Based Organisations as community mobilisers, and Faith-Based Organisations as moral and social influencers in preventing child trafficking.”
The community reported the trafficking attempt to the police. The two suspected traffickers were placed under legal investigation.
Community social by-laws were also enforced. The sisters were each fined 5,000 Ethiopian Birr – a significant penalty, locally. The sisters were excluded from Iddir (a traditional voluntary association) and from church-based social participation. In this area, social excommunication is often a more feared deterrent than court-mandated fines. By losing their Iddir membership, individuals lose their social safety net and their standing in the community. It also sends a clear message to illegal brokers: human trafficking is a direct attack on the community’s values.
Speaking to the role of Hope for Justice, Almaz Yoseph, our Self-Help Group member, said: “The awareness sessions that Hope for Justice runs empower Self-Help Group members, parents and community actors to speak out and act when children are at risk rather than remain silent.”
Another member of the community noted that before the trafficking awareness sessions, many local people did not believe this kind of crime could happen in their area. The training helped to shift attitudes and build a sense of responsibility.
Indrias Metamu, Programme Manager at Hope for Justice, said: “Today, those five children are safe, but the impact goes much deeper. The Zala-Shasha case has permanently shifted the power dynamic in the woreda. The strategy for training students to be lookouts, women to lead, and elders to enforce the rules has created a stronghold that illegal brokers can no longer easily penetrate.”
