The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive
Director, Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, and Hollywood actor, Nicolas
Cage, today visited the Eastleigh Community Wellness Center, an IOM
Health Facility in Nairobi, to learn first hand about IOM Kenya's
activities in the fight against human trafficking as well as see
the health facilities offered to Somali urban refugees and host
community at the Centre.

The IOM Wellness Centre, located in Eastleigh, a section of
Nairobi where thousands of Somali and Ethiopian urban refugees
live, offers Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services for
those who would like to know their HIV Status, Anti Retroviral
Therapy (ART), TB diagnosis, TB-DOTS and piloting community-based
activities such as child wellness days, within IOM's core mandate
of building Member State capacity to manage migration health. The
Centre is available as a resource to both migrants and host
communities.

"This is a visit to explore and discuss counter-trafficking
activities in Kenya and meet with IOM and its partners in
counter-trafficking initiatives", said Tal Raviv, MRF Nairobi's
Regional Project Development Officer and Counter Trafficking
Expert.

IOM and its counter-trafficking partners, the Centre for
Domestic Training and Development (CDTD) and Ngazi Moja, spoke with
the guests and briefed them on counter-trafficking initiatives in
Kenya. Mr. Cage and Mr. Costa were particularly interested in how
IOM and its partners raise awareness and put the message out to the
community on human trafficking. Additionally the visitors spoke
with patients visiting the clinic who are refugees and migrants
from Ethiopia and Somalia.

Human trafficking has evolved into one of the most tragic
features of contemporary global migration. Kenya has been
identified as a country of origin, transit, and destination for
victims of human trafficking. Internal trafficking is wide spread
as well international trafficking and occurs for purposes of
domestic labour and sexual exploitation, and forced labour. Women
and children are the main victims. The refugee population in Kenya,
mainly Somalis, as well as economic migrants has been identified as
particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Other vulnerable
populations include those Kenyans affected by internal conflict and
protracted drought in selected parts of the country.  Cases of
trafficking have been identified from all parts of the country.

IOM Counter Trafficking initiatives in Kenya have been
operational for the last four years with funding from the Royal
Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi. Activities include: enhancing the
capacity of the Ministry of Labour to manage labour migration and
prevent labour trafficking; promoting the enactment of legislation
of which a draft Anti-Trafficking in Persons Bill has been
developed with technical assistance from IOM ready for tabling in
Parliament; provision of technical assistance to the Government of
Kenya  in drafting a National Plan of Action to combat human
trafficking; prevention through information dissemination and
community outreach; capacity building through training;
establishment of a shelter to assist victims of trafficking; and
promotion of coordination and cooperation among various
stakeholders in order to enhance partnerships and referrals for
victims in need of support.

Funding from the Government of Japan has in the last nine months
facilitated outreach activities to communities in North Eastern
Province, a significant source area for victims of trafficking and
other forms of irregular migrants destined for Eastleigh (Nairobi),
South Africa and other parts of the world. This campaign targeted
religious leaders, community leaders, government officers, civil
society partners and community members and was implemented through
radio talk shows, training workshops, theatre performances, and
public barazas (community meetings).

On the 12th of November, IOM launched a nationwide media
campaign dubbed "Kaa Chonjo" (Watch Out!) that utilizes multimedia
channels of communication to reach a wider audience, specifically
in Northern Kenya and the North Rift Valley where drought and food
crisis, civil and political unrest has made community members
vulnerable to trafficking.

"These factors disrupt social and economic support systems
within communities and create conducive environments for
traffickers to recruit, transport and exploit women, children and
men," said IOM's Raviv.