Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall prey to traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Unfortunately, human trafficking is also a reality in South Africa.

Victims of trafficking can be any age, gender, race or social standing and statistics indicate that  it is the fastest growing global industry – generating a staggering U$D 150 billion a year. During a recent Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign, organised by the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus, students had the opportunity to learn more about this social ail from members of the HAWKS (an independent directorate within the South African Police Force responsible for the combating, investigation and prevention of national priority crimes) and representatives from the Gauteng Department of Social Development.

The awareness campaign took the form of a two-fold event, with an activation being held at the Student Centre in the afternoon, and an information session during the evening at the different campus residences.  The activation saw students from the different residences taking to the stage with dance routines and plays to both entertain and educate fellow students on the dangers of human trafficking.

To read more about this event, visit the Student24/7 blog https://student247blog.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/stop-trafficking-of-persons-csrc-awareness-campaign/