Highlighting the plight of trafficked children in Northern Ethiopia

One of Hope for Justice’s lead social workers is shining a spotlight on the human trafficking of children and young people in Northern Ethiopia.

Bamlaku Tibebu, Head of Social Work at our Bright Lighthouse, writes here about some of the trends that he has seen over the past seven years during his professional experience within social work. 

Many of the stories we write and share about our work in Ethiopia highlight how children are trafficked from their home and taken to the capital city, Addis Ababa, or to other major cities. Usually, they are promised a good education and the opportunity to better themselves. But these turn out to be false promises. 

Bamlaku writes: “I have observed that in Northern Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara Region, approximately 85% of children rescued from trafficking and exploitation originate from the Gondar and Gojjam Zones. 

“Contributing factors include pervasive poverty, a community culture that facilitates exploitation, and a lack of awareness regarding child protection among parents.”

Where it is required, Hope for Justice delivers training in effective parenting, child protection, anti-trafficking, communication and other skills. It is common for our teams to provide this training before children are reintegrated with their families. This awareness is proven to safeguard children against re-trafficking. 

Bamlaku adds: “In rural areas of Northern Ethiopia, especially within the Amhara Region, there exists a troubling tradition of exploiting and trafficking children, primarily for agricultural labour. Local recruitment by community members often leads families to send their children away as a source of income, driven by economic hardship and insufficient awareness of child protection issues. The number of children affected by this local exploitation and trafficking may well number in the thousands, representing a grave concern in this part of Ethiopia.”

Overall, the country of Ethiopia received a Tier 2 rating in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, released annually by the US State Department. The report states that the Government “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.”

Dires*, aged 14, was raised by his mother following the death of his father when he was just 11 years old. 

Struggling to provide for Dires and his two siblings, his mother consented to him working on a farm, hoping that it would bring in vital financial support for the family. 

However, the conditions on the farm were harsh and Dires was mistreated. 

Between the ages of 12 and 14, he endured severe deprivation, lacked adequate food, was prohibited from playing and missed out on formal education. Dires had dropped out of school when his father died.

Thankfully, Hope for Justice’s outreach workers found Dires on the streets, where he was incredibly vulnerable to human trafficking and further exploitation. Our team invited him into the safety and shelter of our Bright Lighthouse, a safe haven for children who have been exploited, or who are at risk of exploitation.

Soon after, we were able to reunite Dires with his mother and provide financial support for her to start a new business. This meant that Dires was able to return to school for the first time in over two years. 

A member of our staff said: “Dires is now on track to attend his Grade 4 regular education programme. He and his family are displaying resilience in facing the various challenges in their local region. We are witnessing first-hand the positive impact that Hope for Justice and our incredible donors have on the future of so many children, despite the global and local socio-economic issues they face.” 

*Name and image changed to protect identity of the survivor