One of the instrumental strategies we employ at Love Justice International to fight human trafficking is the use of data collection and analysis. Our staff are continually collecting and analyzing data in order to better understand trafficking trends and networks. This is crucial in helping to improve our operations, prosecute traffickers, and identify targets for investigations.

I have to admit I’m complaining more than usual these days when it comes to flying and airports! Traveling isn’t as glamorous as it once was. Too much congestion. Too many delayed or canceled flights. More rude people than I care to think about. And never-ending security lines!

Human trafficking is one of the most devastating inhumanities in the world today. Globally, it is estimated that there are over 40 million slaves—the largest amount in history.

Recently, our Africa leadership team spent some time in Uganda traveling to our various monitoring stations and getting a clearer picture of both the successes and challenges our staff are facing there on a daily basis. As one of the more recent countries where we have expanded our work, it was an encouraging experience.  

We are in the initial stages of expanding our anti-trafficking work into Kenya. Recently, part of our leadership team traveled there to help oversee staff training and to evaluate the results of our preliminary efforts there. The team began their travels in Mombasa, which is on the coast of Kenya. The town is known for being a popular tourist destination with its exquisite white sands and turquoise blue seas. However, human trafficking in the forms of forced labor and prostitution is a prevalent problem amidst the backdrop of this picturesque town and the country as a whole. 

Zimbabwe is a country in turmoil. It has a history of political and economic unrest that continues to plague its people today. In addition, Zimbabwe has been a focal point for human trafficking throughout the years.  Today, the steady deterioration of the country's economic status continues to cause concern and unrest among its citizens. This uncertainty can prompt people to look for employment opportunities in other countries, resulting in an increased potential for innocent lives to become victims of trafficking. 

Benin is a West African country with a population of around 10 million people. Ranking among the world's poorest countries, its shore includes what used to be known as the Slave Coast, which was the departure point for captives to be shipped across the Atlantic. Today, it is still a source, transit, and destination country for women, children, and men subjected to forced labor and human trafficking. According to a report by the U.S. Department of State, the most identified victims are Beninese girls subjected to domestic servitude or human trafficking.

Jobs are not easy to come by for most people living in South Africa, so when an opportunity that promises provision and stability is offered, it will most likely be snatched up quickly. Traffickers prey on this desperation to lure innocent women, men, and children into lives of slavery and bondage. 

As I stepped into that “other world,” the weight of a mind-numbing sadness quickly gripped my heart. From a distance, this place didn’t look all that much different than most of the other poor areas I had experienced in Bangladesh. However, once I stepped inside, the impact was profound. The darkness was overpowering and the despair truly palpable. 

According to a recent report by the U.S. State Department, it is estimated that millions of women and children are victims of sex trafficking in India each year. In fact, the country continues to be a main source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.