Kigoma – IOM, the UN Migration Agency in collaboration with the President Office- Regional Administration and Local Government through Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Office and Kasulu District Council facilitated community dialogue session with religious leaders from 21 wards of Kasulu District Council on 22nd and 23rd July 2019. The sessions focused on Trafficking in Persons and different forms of Violence as well as its prevention and response strategy. The activity aimed among other things to raise awareness on the concept of Trafficking in Persons and different forms of violence against women and children and the role of religious leaders in preventing and responding to cases in collaboration with the government particularly the social welfare department. The event brought together a total of 112 (42 women and 70 male) religious leaders from BAKWATA, Tanzania Episcopal Center (TEC), Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) and Council of Pentecostal Churches of Tanzania (CPCT).

The activity was organized under the framework of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP) II through the United Nations Kigoma Joint Programme 2017-2021 and in response to the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC 2017-2022) in Tanzania through Kigoma Joint Programme.

The activity equipped the participated religious leaders with key concepts on Trafficking in Persons, its causes and effects,identification of the victims/survivors, existing laws, regulations, as well as mechanism of referrals. Further social welfare department employed the platform to strengthen the collaboration plans with religious leaders in assisting and protecting victim of trafficking and survivors of violence.

The religious leaders acknowledged the activity to be useful and provided good understanding towards assisting the victims or survivors. “Personally, I came across the victim of trafficking last few days and she stays with my family. Before this session, I didn’t know that I was supposed to report the victim and do initial referral to social welfare department. Following this session, I now understand the procedures and where to go so that the victim can be provided with protection services as required by national laws and regulations”, Said Sheikh Amri Issa Kiswampa from BAKWATA Kasulu.

As a result of this community dialogue session, religious leaders deliberated to work closely with relevant government departments including social welfare and police gender desk as per existing government guidelines and procedures. As a way forward, six months action plan listing activities on prevention and response was developed and will be the implemented in the district.