Two women smiling beside the WOTESAWA organization sign supporting domestic workers’ rights in Tanzania.
Around one million children – mostly girls – are engaged in domestic work in Tanzania, according to the non-profit Anti-Slavery International. WoteSawa was set up in 2014 and every year takes in around 75 children who have escaped trafficking. WoteSawa means “all are equal” in Swahili. At the shelter children are housed and provided with counseling and legal support. They also receive an education in literacy and numeracy, and vocational skills such as needlework. Space is tight: children sleep two to a bed. Some stay longer than others, particularly those involved in criminal cases, as prosecutions can take time. So far, the non-profit has helped hundreds of survivors, but the needs are greater than the resources available. Benedicto dreams of building a bigger haven for more children.
SOURCE: CNN