Survivor Story: Inclusion and Engagement in the Anti-Human Trafficking Fight
Awah Francisca Mbuli | September 21 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Experience, International | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Awah Francisca Mbuli is a survivor of sex and labor trafficking and was almost a victim of organ trafficking. She is the founder and executive director of Survivors’ Network (SN), a Cameroonian based, female-led NGO leading in the fights against all forms of human trafficking in Cameroon and Sub-Saharan African countries. Her innovative programs focus on rescuing victims, assuring their safe return home, reuniting them with their families, providing psychosocial services, and economically empowering women who are survivors of human trafficking and various forms of violence as well as internally displaced women and children. SN providers diverse services ranging from urgent economic empowerment to vocational skills training, also doubling as a safe/shelter home. She will share her story as a survivor of trafficking and how other survivors can overcome their stigma and find their path as survivor leaders. Survivor leaders’ empowerment and capacity building is of great importance to build their leadership, including how we can motivate more survivors to take an active role in this fight. Awah Francisca will highlight challenges survivors face that are unique to Cameroon and Africa and will speak on the impact her leadership has had in her community and the anti-trafficking movement. She will conclude her presentation by discussing the importance on the various needs survivors have to be ready and prepared for the task of being survivor leaders.
Presentation Objectives:
· Share her story as a survivor, leader, and founder of Survivors’ Network in Cameroon
· Discuss how other survivors can overcome their stigma to be survivor leaders in their community
· Discuss the importance of survivor leadership and what other survivors need to do to be prepared to be survivor leaders