SURVIVORS ARE MORE EXPERTS OF TRAFFICKING
Joanita Ndagire
Writer, Poet, Survivor
Co-Founder, Second Chance to Life Foundation, Content creator at Omuti Kreave.
SURVIVORS ARE EXPERTS OF TRAFFICKING
When people talk about expertise, what comes to most minds is learned people with qualifications. And yet,, matters of experience can not, in reality be put in the same boat with any other expertise.
“you cannot teach me about trafficking because I experienced it”- said a survivor. There is therefore a need for governments and “experts” to involve survivors and victims of such injustices in decision making especially concerning laws and plans for victims and survivors of such.
Here is why; Most experts are identified by their experiences in relation to years, academics and more. However, when it comes to vices like human-trafficking, survivors meet eye to eye with their perpetrators and in turn taste their wrath. And yet, regardless of the fact that most victims are not aware that they are being trafficked or even abused when they are, they still do have first hand information about the matter.
Each event, the trickery, manipulation and deceit of all forms all might at a distance seem unrealistic but if one digs deeper, they would actually realize that there is no better expert than the victim, one who has lived it. Lets take an example of one’s life, many people can claim to know another person judging by the time they have spent with them, being their parents, partners or in any relation. However, the same reason why such ‘know who’s” lament about being surprised when one they assume they know does something unexpected, is the very reason as to why we should acknowledge survivors as experts. Scholars might have studied it, invented it or even named it but the reality of its effect is only and only well described by the survivors themselves, telling the world what actually happened to them with minimal or zero reference to a third party.
As a survivor of human trafficking, there was never a better eye opener than the moment I heard a fellow survivor mention that a survivor is more of an expert of trafficking than any other. At many instances, various team leaders have introduced several people to a group of survivors as experts on the subject of trafficking. Then I asked myself again, were those people more of experts than me?! But recalling how they were eager to know our stories and the shocked faces they wore whenever a survivor shared her story, I confirmed that its never about what who thinks about who has to know what but the reality. The so called experts always come down to survivors for first hand information which they go ahead and share to the other third parties to whom they are experts. I concluded then, those presented as experts are merely advocates, for there is no better expert than the victim.
Many laws, suggestions and solutions have been drawn and passed but not in action or in operation because some of them are loose, inapplicable or even have no relation with trafficking or even renders no solution to any of the problems faced by survivors yet such statutes are passed to protect victims and survivors and also to give them justice.
I do believe that not all survivors are ignorant, therefore, there is need for the law makers and civil organizations to consider representation of survivors on their panels for any programs set to benefit survivors, for they can at least give better recommendations. The long panels discussing different aspects of trafficking spending millions of money yielding no results yet some times non should work to accept the relevance of survivors in such processes. This will give survivors a sense of belonging and whichever law or program will be understood better. In addition, better laws can be made and remedies can be met easily since the survivors are even familiar with whichever gaps have to be blocked in order to fight the vice of human trafficking instead of spending money on a lot of conferences looking for what to do about a particular area of trafficking yet there is someone some where with all the needed information.
The opinions expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of this website, The TUKOLE FOUNDATION or its affiliates.
