By: Melvin Flomo / WhatsApp: +231778677647
In a collaborative effort to strengthen victim support services and combat human trafficking, the Government of Liberia (GoL) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have concluded the provision of mental health and psychosocial support to 19 female victims of human trafficking in Monrovia.
A United Nations Mental Health and Stress Counsellor provided six days of mental health and psychosocial counselling, in collaboration with the IOM and the Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, to the 19 victims.
The initiative is part of an ECOWAS-funded project to support victims of trafficking in Liberia. In November 2024, the Liberian government received a grant of US$35,000 from ECOWAS to bolster services for survivors and enhance national efforts against human trafficking. IOM is implementing the project in close collaboration with the Trafficking in Persons Secretariat at the Ministry of Labor.
At the official opening ceremony, the Deputy Labor Minister for Planning and Manpower Development, Hon. Steven S. Kolubah, spoke on behalf of the Minister of Labor, Cllr. Cooper Kruah. Deputy Minister Kolubah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating human trafficking, stressing that victim support is central to national anti-trafficking efforts, and urged the beneficiaries to take the counselling process seriously.
“We will continue to work with our international, local, and regional partners to provide protection and assistance to victims while intensifying efforts to prevent trafficking and prosecute traffickers,” Kolubah stated.
Additionally, the IOM Liberia Country Program Coordinator and Officer-in-Charge, LENAUD Serge Désiré, thanked ECOWAS for its support and the government for its commitment to ensuring that TIP victims receive the necessary protection services. Serge emphasized that mental health and psychosocial support for victims is crucial to their reintegration process.
According to the IOM Officer-in-Charge, the counselling process helps victims recover from the physical and emotional trauma they experienced, rebuild trust in themselves and others, develop coping mechanisms to improve their emotional well-being, empower them to regain a sense of control over their lives, foster self-esteem and resilience, and make informed decisions about their future including setting personal goals.
“IOM and the Government of Liberia have been partners in the fight against human trafficking for over 15 years. And IOM is committed to strengthening this partnership as we, together with other partners, collaboratively prevent human trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers,” Serge said.
Speaking on behalf of the victims, Miss Alice Kollie (not her real name) expressed gratitude to the Government of Liberia, ECOWAS, IOM, and other partners who have worked together to assist them in reintegrating into their communities.
“We are over 300 girls who were deceived about better jobs and educational opportunities outside Liberia. We suffered in the hands of our traffickers, but thank God for the government, our parents, and other humanitarians who assisted us in returning to Liberia. We will forever remain grateful to ECOWAS for the mental health support,” she said.
The ECOWAS initiative is part of a broader regional strategy to support victims of trafficking across its member states. Approved in 2024 by the ECOWAS Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, the program addresses key drivers of trafficking, including conflict, natural disasters, climate change, and pandemics, all of which worsen vulnerabilities and hinder anti-trafficking efforts.
The project aligns with the ECOWAS Regional Policy on the Protection and Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in Persons, aiming to build the capacity of member states to offer comprehensive and timely support to victims.
