“Sport gives me a feeling of belonging as a girl. When I play, it affirms my right to play sports and exposes me to greater opportunities, “she said.
This is what sport should represent for young people around the world. However, a new campaign supported by the International Organization for Migration (Iom) strives to counter a darker side of the industry of several billion dollars – by ending children’s trafficking through sports.
‘Gateway to exploitation’
“” Sport should be a source of joy and success, not a gateway to the exploitation. However, traffickers attack the ambitions of young athletes, using false promises to attract them to abuse and deception, “said Ugochi Daniels, the Iom Deputy Director General of Operations.
Out of around 50 million people worldwide who are subject In abuse of traffic, 38% of them are children. And among these children victims, 11% are treated with false promises.
In the sport industry, it takes many forms, including joining false sports academies or by signing what seems to be professional contracts.
For many young people like Saido, sport can be a path of disadvantaged history. Saido, for example, dreams of seeing more Somali women and refugees playing in international professional leagues.
“I want to see a basketball academy full of Somali girls and other girls from different communities here in Kakuma. I want to see Somali girls playing basketball at WNBA, “said Saido, referring to the best women’s league in the United States.
But these dreams and their disadvantaged history, according to the campaign, can also make them particularly vulnerable to the false promises of traffickers.
Do not ignore the risks
Work alongside mission 89 – an organization which fights against the exploitation of young athletes – IOM calls stakeholders within the sports industry of $ 1.2 Billion of dollars to strengthen the protective mechanisms.
This includes the reform of recruitment strategies contrary to ethics which can be exploited by traffickers and offer education to the entire industry on the harm and risks of trafficking.
In addition to these tangible changes, the campaign also calls on industry leaders to sign commitments that do not declare zero tolerance of the scourge.
“” While we continue to celebrate the power of sport, we cannot ignore the risks encountered by young athletesSaid Lerina Bright, founder and executive director of mission 89.
“This campaign consists in ensuring that each child who dreams in sport is safe, supported and never exploited.”
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
