Africa

The continent of Africa has some of the worst forms of human slavery, and here are some of the major examples found throughout Africa:

Chattel Slavery: This form of human trafficking is the most similar to the “old” form of slavery that existed during the Atlantic slave trade. Men, women, and children are bought and sold as household servants, field workers, etc.

Child Soldiers:Children are often recruited, abducted, or tricked into African armies that perpetuate war and instability in several countries. These children are traumatized and face long processes of social reintegration if they are ever allowed to return.

Labor Slavery: African countries are still developing, and thus have a high demand for cheap and unskilled labor. This is different from chattel slavery because there is no concrete “ownership” over the people, but rather an informal agreement that the people are held in debt bondage.

Organ/Skin Trafficking: Several West African countries continue to practice voodoo rituals that require the skin and/or organs of the involved persons. This practice is often outlawed by the government, but in practice local customs and beliefs overrule that authority.
Sex Slavery: Although it is more rare, trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation does happen in Africa. For example, Nigerian women are trafficked into Italy for forced prostitution. Even within Africa, there is now a high demand for young children (both boys and girls) because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

TEN partners with the organization Life in Africa. This organization creats jobs for impoverished families and slavery survivors who are struggling to recover from their recent civil war. Click here to visit our store and view some of this organizations beautiful products.

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