A group of nuns from Southern African countries will be given a
week-long intensive training by IOM counter trafficking training
experts in an effort to strengthen the capacity of faith-based
organizations and personnel in the region in fighting the crime.

The training between 1-6 October for 42 Catholic nuns from South
Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho and Namibia
is expected to provide participants with the tools and information
necessary to provide assistance to victims and potential victims
including how to identify local instances of human trafficking and
to prevent it, how to empower victims and how to protect themselves
from psychological burn-out. 

During the week, the nuns will also be provided with general
information on human trafficking as well its social implications
and the recruitment methods of criminal networks.

The Southern African region is one of the most affected by the
human trafficking trade with South Africa being the main transit
and destination country for men, women and children trafficked for
forced labour and sexual exploitation. Women and children from
other African countries (mainly Malawi, Mozambique and a number of
refugee-producing countries), as well as from Thailand, China,
Russia and Eastern Europe, are trafficked to South Africa for
sexual exploitation with Malawian women and children trafficked
onward to Europe. South Africa is also a source country for women
trafficked to Asia (Macau) for sexual exploitation.

The IOM training is carried out in collaboration with the
International Union of Superiors General (UISG) through the
Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life South and Africa and the
United States (US) Embassy to the Holy See and is part of a
multi-country programme funded by the US State Department's Bureau
of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).

In the past three years, IOM has trained more than 350 religious
personnel in Albania, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Italy,
Nigeria, the Philippines (involving participants coming from seven
South East Asian countries), Portugal (involving participants from
the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa), Romania and
Thailand. 

A training module, drafted by a steering committee composed of
IOM and selected interlocutors is available on the "http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/1674?entryId=10217">IOM
Website in English, Italian, and Spanish.

For more information, please contact:

Marija Nikolovska

IOM South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 12 342 2789

E-mail: "mailto:mnikolovska@iom.int">mnikolovska@iom.int

or

Giulia Falzoi

and

Stefano Volpicelli

IOM Rome

Tel: +3906 442 31 428