A two-day consultation next week between the Tanzanian government
and non-governmental (NGO) partners involved in countering child
trafficking in the country, will focus on how to improve the
counselling of rescued child victims.

Jointly hosted by IOM and Tanzanian NGO Mkombozi, which has
built up significant experience in supporting the mental health of
over 1,000 vulnerable street children in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro
regions, the consultation on 22-23 June in Moshi will also aim to
provide basic guidance on the principles of counselling for all
those engaged in fighting human trafficking in the country.

With the few counselling experts in Tanzania mainly experienced
in issues surrounding HIV/AIDS identification and treatment, the
consultation is a much-needed opportunity to strengthen an
important aspect of the counter-trafficking response. 

Although there is little knowledge and awareness of human
trafficking in Tanzania or of its true scale, the significant
rural-urban migration in recent decades has led to a large demand
for rural children to work mainly as domestic labourers in
burgeoning towns and cities.

With children often trafficked by a family member or close
family friends, the betrayal by someone who was supposed to care
and provide for the child leaves a victim facing a multitude of
emotions including anger, distrust, depression, shame, guilt and
isolation. Child victims of trafficking also become emotionally
withdrawn, lose self-confidence, anxious and subject to nervous
breakdowns.

Although IOM and its partners have assisted 237 victims of
trafficking since December 2005, the need for tailored counselling
programmes for child victims by well-trained counsellors has now
become urgent.

Funded by the US State Department, Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP), the consultation is taking place at
the newly created Regional Immigration Training Academy (TRITA) /
Africa Capacity Building Centre (ACBC) at Moshi.

The centre is a joint initiative by IOM, its African Member
States and the Tanzanian government with the aim to build the
capacity of African countries in dealing with key migration
issues.

To find out more about TRITA/ACBC go to "paragraph-link-no-underline" href="http://www.immtrita.ac.tz/"
target="_blank" title="">http://www.immtrita.ac.tz/

For further information, please contact:

Monika Peruffo

IOM Tanzania

Tel: + 255786 088519

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