Visit of the Accommodation Center for Child Victims of Trafficking
During the World Anti-Trafficking Week, UNICEF and IOM raise awareness to reduce Human Trafficking in Burundi
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In accordance with the week's agenda, on Monday, the 25th of July, UNICEF and IOM in Burundi, and La Fédération Nationale des Associations engagées dans le Domaine de l'Enfance au Burundi (FENADEB), and the Fondation Stamm visited the BIRASHOBOKA Accommodation Center in Bujumbura, managed by Fondation Stamm.
The accommodation center provides services of care to victims of trafficking. The centre has a multi-purpose school where the children are educated, and a hospital which provides several types of care including medical care, Pediatric consultations and surgical care for children. This UNICEF-Fondation Stamm project is supported with funds from USAID.
This accommodation center hosts 38 children, between 5 and 17 years old, who have been victims of either national trafficking, within Burundi, or cross-border trafficking which happens when a Burundian child is trafficked out of the country.
The latter was the case of Albert*, 15, who worked in Tanzania. His employer in Tanzania refused to pay him his salary and beat him severely, injuring his leg. He was taken back to Burundi where the Fondation Stamm ensured that he was provided with him with immediate medical aid and psychosocial support for his recovery. Albert’s case was referred to Fondation Stamm by FENADEB.
"Now I feel good here, among children of my age, I feel like I belong to a family", Albert explained to UNICEF and OIM teams.
During the visit UNICEF also encountered a 10-year-old victim of internal trafficking from Bujumbura. His employer accused him of trying to rape her 4-year-old daughter and refused to pay him.
This accommodation centre hosts two types of children: children in transit, victims of trafficking who once received relevant aid will be returned to their families, and children in permanent situation, victims who have no place to return.
Fondation Stamm, with support from UNICEF and USAID, also assist in the social reintegration of these children, through educational and recreational activities.
Furthermore, once they have reached the age of 17, these children may return to their relatives, but under approval of the center’s professionals (psychologist and social workers). These professionals assess the family situation, and suitability of the home before the child is sent back home. The child is also questioned on his preference to stay at the centre or with their family. The purpose of this follow-up is to ensure that the child does not fall back into the hands of the trafficked or abused children from whom they were rescued.
However, for those children who do not have relatives or place to return, the Fondation Stamm continues to mentor and guide them through its multi-purpose School. The idea is to accompany and support these children to learn a job that will enable them to lead an autonomous and active working life.
Finally, this centre is complemented by a Hospital offering medical care of these children. Due to its good operation and service availability, the hospital placed next to the School also provides service to the neighbors for a payment.
*The name has been changed
