Human Trafficking

It's been a week since a record 111 million viewers tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the most watched TV show ever. A number of smaller stories developed from the enormous publicity the Super Bowl created, most especially the 400 fans who were displaced from their seats for safety precautions.

But another story, which did not get enough attention in my opinion involved human trafficking or commercial exploitation of people, primarily women and children. I stumbled upon a story highlighting concerns about human trafficking reports increasing in Dallas during the Super Bowl weekend, and you can find it here if you are interested in reading it: http://www.thegrio.com/sports/police-watch-for-sex-trafficking-ahead-of-super-bowl.php

A similar concern was raised in South Africa during the World Cup for the same reason. An event such as the Super Bowl or World Cup draws thousands, sometimes millions, of people to a particular location. Obviously having so many people with different interests, wants and needs makes for the opportunity to earn the easy money.

Sadly, it comes at the expense of many unsuspecting women and children, some of whom are kidnapped and forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for money. In South Africa, a country with the most number of people living with HIV/AIDS, the problem was an even bigger concern. I had planned on investigating how much of a factor human trafficking was during the World Cup, but unfortunately fell victim to the flu just as I started the project. Since I never completed the story, my interviews remained buried until now.

It's a different country and different event being hosted, but the story remains the same. Human trafficking is a serious global issue that needs to be addressed. I put together a short story based on interviews with two people. Moses Kanduri, a Ghanaian, U.S.-based student who served as coordinator of the Red Card against human trafficking campaign in South Africa, and Melanie Hamman, a photographer and human trafficking activist. Here's a picture of Hamman being interviewed about the human trafficking and prostitution, during the World Cup, for ESPN's "Outside The Lines."



While this video doesn't paint the full picture, I hope it will help raise awareness about the magnitude of the problem. There are no visual images, but the soundbites from these two are so compelling that it is worth the viewing. You can leave your thoughts and opinions on the human trafficking crisis.