Counter Human Trafficking

Since 2006, Sr. Mary O’Malley has been involved in the ministry of Counter Human Trafficking in Kenya. This involves both directly working with victims and awareness raising through training programmes in schools, youth groups and with vulnerable populations.
Over the years her work has spread from Kenya to other countries in East Africa. At the Faraja Centre in Tanzania there is also an active programme.
Human trafficking involves the recruitment or movement of people for exploitation by the use of threat, force, fraud, or the abuse of vulnerability. Poverty is a driving factor, and people who genuinely need to better their situation in life are particularly vulnerable.

It is a crime that can occur across international borders or within a country. It often crosses multiple geographic and legal boundaries. Women from rural areas are trafficked to the cities and sold into prostitution. Men are offered lucrative employment in rural projects in another part of the country or abroad and end up exploited for their labour and in poor living conditions.
Individuals who have been trafficked are likely to experience multiple physical and mental health risks prior to, during and after their trafficking experiences. Many suffer acute and long-term health problems. This includes injuries, physical pain and illnesses, sexual health problems and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.

High levels of sexual violence are reported among women trafficked for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, with high levels of symptoms of sexually transmitted infections reported by men and women alike.

What can we do as Medical Missionaries of Mary?

Trafficking is a process comprising various stages, starting with recruitment and followed by travel and transit, destination and exploitation.
We raise awareness which targets the recruitment stage. It helps young people identify “too good to be true” offers, even coming from family members. We also raise awareness with groups such as airlines and the hospitality sector who are unwittingly used by traffickers for transporting people.

MMM also works with victims of trafficking, providing support for individuals who have been liberated, trauma counselling and addressing the multiple needs such as income generating projects so that they do not become vulnerable again. (Read Lily’s story here)

Currently MMM is involved in this work in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and USA. You can follow the work in Kenya through the following website: HTTPS://CHTTRUST-EASTAFRICA.ORG/

Sr. Martine Makanga is a Consultant Pediatric Surgeon. She is the only highly qualified doctor in this line of work for the whole of eastern Rwanda and in the hospital where she works in Kigali, she receives referrals from 10 other District Hospitals. Her passion is to offer quality pediatric surgery services with compassion to children who are sick. She says: “with love, tenderness, compassion and dedication we work together as a whole Team to care for these children”. The surgeries are complicated: inguinal, umbilical hernia, undescended testis, cleft lip/palate, spina bifida, and hydrocele. Some of these are fatal if left untreated, all cause major deformity which would have stayed with the child their whole life.

For Sister Martine her life of prayer is integral to her ministry. “Each day, I offer to the Lord the children I will examine and operate on that day. I ask the Lord to guide me, to bless my poor hands to become instruments of healing when I do surgery. I ask to bless my words that they may be words of consolation and comfort to the family and to the children. I put them under the protection of Mary, our Mother.”

Another part of Sr. Martine’s ministry is training other pediatric surgeons. Passing on skills is important to MMMs. Rwanda is a country with a young population and at present there are only two other local pediatric surgeons for a population of an estimated 13 million people. The University of Kigali has started a Fellowship post graduate course in Paediatric Surgery. It is a three-year programme and the first three general surgeons are in this specialist training.

Does Sr. Martine ever get a holiday? Yes, of course she does. She goes to visit her family in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). But what does she do there? She offers her services for free again to the Diocese of Pointe-Noire, her home diocese. They set up a Summer Camp and treat over 100 young children in a two-week session. The Archdiocese and other donor groups provide the local staff and drug costs and Sr. Martine has the expert skills they need. Well done, Sr. Martine. Your initiative is coming from the heart.

Chiropody (podiatry) is the form of medical treatment that keeps us on our feet! It helps keep us upright, marching through life and its challenges. Some of our MMM Sisters take this on as a “second career” and provide an invaluable service, especially to the elderly.

Podiatrists are healthcare professionals who have been trained to diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs.
They also prevent and correct deformity, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections. They can give advice on how to look after your feet and what type of shoes to wear. They can also treat and alleviate day-to-day foot problems. (NHS, UK)

According to a study from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, in young people as well as the elderly, the muscles in the leg can weaken by a third during a two week period of inactivity.. Therefore movement is very important. So if a person has an ingrown toenail, corns, or other foot problems, then walking (movement ) becomes difficult and often impossible. The chiropodist plays an important role in relieving the pain involved.

Sr. Patricia O’Connor and Sr. Corona O’Brien have been providing this service in Drogheda, Ireland for many years. Sr. Patricia was already a trained nurse with wide experience before entering MMM in 1968. In 1971 she was assigned to Tanzania, later Kenya. In 1996 she returned to Drogheda to look after our sick and elderly MMMs. During her time as clinic Sister in Drogheda, she became aware of the podiatry needs. “I enjoy chiropody very much. It is great to see people up and moving around. When you can keep people mobile, they have better overall health.”

Sr. Corona is also a trained nurse. She spent many years in Tanzania and Nigeria. In Nigeria she was involved in complementary therapies and on her return to Ireland became involved in chiropody through watching Sr. Patricia’s work and seeing the huge need. She combines this work with massage therapy and works to keep the person pain-free, mobile and agile. “People are so grateful when they have their feet treated. At times I am overwhelmed by how much such a small difference can make in their lives. Elderly people often can not bend down enough to reach their feet. Others have poor eyesight. I enjoy my work.”