By Ragan M. Conteh

The True Hope Foundation International Sierra Leone Chapter on Tuesday, 12th May, 2025 officially launched its Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign for Schools, beginning with a powerful engagement at St. Joseph’s Secondary School Convent. The momentum continued on May 13th with a second impactful session at the Freetown Secondary School for Girls (FSSG).

This school-based outreach forms part of a broader nationwide sensitization initiative aimed at educating young people, particularly girls on the dangers of human trafficking and how to recognize and prevent it.

Leading the campaign was Aloysious Kingsley Suleiman, Programme Coordinator of the Foundation in Sierra Leone. He stressed the urgent need to empower school-going children with knowledge about trafficking, noting that many victims are deceived under false promises. Suleiman urged students to stay vigilant, informed, and courageous enough to speak out if they or someone they know is at risk.

Topics discussed included child abduction, forced labour, child marriage, and sexual exploitation, all illustrated with real-life examples and visual aids. Students were taught how trafficking operates often disguised as help, jobs, or education opportunities and were reminded to avoid risky behaviours such as accepting lifts from strangers or keeping dangerous secrets.

Facilitators, dressed in branded t-shirts with the slogan “Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness.”

True Hope Foundation International’s broader mission was also echoed during the event. Mr. Patrick Adeyemi-Buckle, Founder and CEO of the Foundation, shared his vision in a statement, emphasizing that the fight against human trafficking must begin with awareness and prevention. “We envision a Sierra Leone where every young person understands the realities of trafficking and is equipped to resist it. And for those already affected, our mission is to provide care, restore dignity, and build hope,” he added.

Students expressed appreciation for the timely message and pledged to become messengers of change in their homes and communities. As the campaign moves forward to other schools across the country, the Foundation remains steadfast in building a united front against trafficking one school, one child, and one voice at a time.