By Sr. Gathoni Lillian
My thoughts raced when I read that Kenya ranks second after Libya in human trafficking, according to
the Africa Organized Crime Index. Human trafficking had always seemed like a distant problem,
something that happens to other people, in other places.
My search for a deeper understanding led me to Talitha Kum Kenya, an organization run by Catholic
religious sisters under the Association of Sisterhoods in Kenya (AOSK). Inspired by the call of the late
Pope Francis, during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, to respond to the needs of communities, including
modern-day slavery, the organization has since 2016 worked to prevent human trafficking, create
awareness and accompany survivors on their journey of restoration.
According to Sr Mercy Mwai, FSJ, the Executive Director of Talitha Kum Kenya, human trafficking is no
longer only about domestic servitude or the movement of people across borders for forced labour.
Increasingly, traffickers are using digital platforms to recruit people through social media, fake job
advertisements and seemingly genuine agents. Those deceived find themselves in “scam cities” where
they are forced to participate in online fraud.
This gives relevance to this year’s theme, “Trapped behind the Scam” in the fight against human
trafficking.
Through Talitha Kum Kenya, I met three survivors of human trafficking. Although they had different
stories, they shared one powerful motivation that made them vulnerable: the desire to improve their
lives and support their families.
For Mary, not her real name, the promise was a well-paying customer service job abroad. She had
travelled previously, but on this occasion she was instructed to apply for a visiting visa and not a work
permit. That should have been a warning sign, but the agent assured her that she would receive a work
permit after 90 days. Trusting the promise, she travelled. Her journey took her from Thailand to
Myanmar, to the scam city, where she was forced to deceive others online in order to survive.
Looking back, Mary says that like her, many see the red flags but still choose to travel with the hope that
their story will be different.
Like Mary, James, not his real name, was excited about the opportunity to travel abroad for work. He
was initially promised a job as a waiter in Qatar, but was later recruited for a similar position in Kuwait
where he found himself instead, working as a tea boy in several offices connected to a Kuwait oil
company.
At first, everything seemed fine. Then in the third month, the salary stopped coming.
Later, he discovered that the company was no longer in operation. He later came to understand that this
was part of a human trafficking scheme in which workers are recruited from Kenya, only for the
supposed employer to become non-functional after a short period leaving them vulnerable to
exploitation.
Eventually his visa expired, and with assistance from the Kenyan Embassy in Kuwait and Talitha Kum’s
Gulf correspondent, James was able to return home albeit through deportation. Talitha Kum has
continued to journey with him since his return, and he remains grateful for the organization’s
accompaniment.
He encourages job seekers to verify recruitment agencies through the National Employment Authority,
while cautioning that registration alone should not end one’s due diligence.
“Let us not rush for those jobs. The issue of a one-month visa is a lie,” he says. “Even after confirming
the agent, there are still cunning people who may scam you.”
James believes government agencies also have a role to play. He suggests stronger coordination
between Kenyan authorities and embassies so that the relevant embassy is aware when Kenyans travel
to the Gulf for employment. Such coordination, he believes, could make it easier for embassies to
respond when their citizens seek help.
John, another survivor, says his local job paid very little, and the opportunity was impossible to refuse.
“It was too good to be true, but I was desperate,” he recalls.
When he arrived in Thailand and was later taken to Myanmar, he discovered that the people who had
recruited him had a different plan. He was told that he had come to scam people online. The
environment was highly controlled, with strict rules about movement and behaviour. He describes
psychological punishment, salary deductions and constant pressure to meet targets. The cybercrime
mostly targeted people in the USA. Those who failed to meet expectations were punished. The money
he had been promised existed, but accessing it came at a heavy cost.
John eventually returned to Kenya determined to seek justice, and was referred to Talitha Kum. The
organisation has since begun his rehabilitation journey.
His experience has given him a new purpose: sharing his story to prevent young people from travelling
into similar situations.
His message is direct, “Do not hide your plans to travel abroad. Tell trusted people. Research the
opportunity. Do not assume an agent is genuine simply because someone you know has used them
before.”
The stories of Mary, James and John reveal a troubling reality, that human trafficking can begin with
something as ordinary as a text message, a recommendation from a friend, or a promising job
advertisement. Yet their journeys also offer hope. They show that survivors can recover, speak up,
educate and help prevent others from falling into the same trap.
For Talitha Kum Kenya, prevention remains the most effective response. The organization works
with churches, religious congregations, government agencies and partners in Kenya and the Gulf
region to identify vulnerable individuals, accompany survivors and create public awareness. It
also trains youth ambassadors who educate their peers about safe migration, responsible use of
social media and online recruitment scams.
Sr Mercy emphasizes that prevention begins with awareness. Anyone who suspects that a person
is being recruited under suspicious circumstances, or knows someone who has already been
trafficked, should seek help through their church and reach out to Talitha Kum Kenya for guidance and
support.