Bukeni Waruzi, Executive Director of Free the Slaves, recently conducted a critical training session with survivors of forced labor, modern slavery, sex trafficking, and child labor in Kinshasa, the national capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The training brought together five survivors, each representing a different province, including Lualaba, Haut Katanga, South Kivu, North Kivu, and Kinshasa.
The objective was to establish a comprehensive set of priorities addressing forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labor. These priorities range from trauma healing to leadership roles in raising awareness against such issues, and they will be presented to the DRC government for inclusion in the country’s roadmap for the Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country initiative.
This collaborative effort is a monumental step in addressing the deeply rooted issues of forced labor and exploitation in the DRC. These survivors will directly engage with the DRC government’s coordination team for Alliance 8.7, ensuring that the roadmap reflects survivors’ real needs and lived experiences. This initiative aims to foster a multi-dimensional approach to eradication, emphasizing survivor-centric solutions as integral to effective policy formulation and implementation.
