A 10-year-old boy is now safely back home with his family and has returned to school after being trafficked to Kampala, Uganda’s capital, in a truck.
Evans*, one of nine siblings, had begun scavenging for bottles in his family’s small fishing village, which he then sold for a small amount of money to survive.
He is a child with a beautiful dream to help those whose lives are impeded by poverty. He told us: “I want to become a pilot in the future so that I can fly to different countries to provide transport to children who need medical operations so they don’t have to wait too long or die on the way.”
One of our social workers said: “Evans’ childhood was filled with days of hope and big dreams but also with struggles. His family faced lots of hardship; they lacked access to food, medical care, clothing and a safe house. Evans often went without the support he needed. His mother was a single parent, overwhelmed with a large family to care for and struggling to provide stability and guidance.”
Earlier this year, perpetrators tricked Evans and two other boys into travelling to the city. The traffickers told them they would buy the items that the boys scavenged so they would earn more money. They were forced into a truck. The journey took them a whole week.
When they arrived in Kampala, the boys managed to run away from their traffickers. Evans met other children living on the street who gave him a sack to sleep in. Gradually, he became involved in petty theft and joined a violent group.
In August, our team was conducting street outreach in Kampala. We talked to a group of about 20 boys who were living on the streets about the risks of exploitation.
One of the outreach workers explained: “During an interactive session with the boys, Evans listened to everything we said. Afterwards, he told us he wanted to leave the street. We gave him some water and a snack because he had not eaten anything since that morning.”
Our team accompanied Evans and several other boys to the local police station so they could give statements. Evans then made the choice to leave the street and we took him to our Lighthouse – one of our 24-7 aftercare shelters for child trafficking victims and children at risk of exploitation.
Initially, Evans was very reserved and withdrawn at the Lighthouse. Due to the trauma he had faced, he lacked social skills and regularly got into conflicts with his peers. Our team spent time with him, using trauma-informed care activities, such as mental health assessments with a counsellor and psychologist, play therapy, life skills sessions, anti-trafficking awareness, catch-up education and more.
Slowly but surely Evans overcame some of the trauma he had faced, his self-esteem improved and he felt more positive. His peers looked up to him and listened to his advice.
One of our social workers managed to trace Evans’ family and arranged a visit to see whether he could be reintegrated.
The social worker said: “Evans’ family was relieved when they learned that he was still alive and under our care. His family thought he had died or been taken for child sacrifice. His story is a reminder of how important it is for parents to provide social support and a loving home to enable children to grow. Let us do whatever we can do to enable them to stay safe and escape the trap of human trafficking.”
Our team supported the family to relocate to a safer location and just last month, Evans was reintegrated with his family. This was made possible with support from local government. We have arranged for Evans to receive ongoing specialist care in his community. He has now returned to school near his home and is doing well.
*Name changed to protect identity of the survivor
