EmProtect+
Protection against sexual exploitation
Running straight through Kenya is one of the most important trade routes connecting East Africa and Europe. Day and night, trucks race down the road carrying precious export products, such as roses—many destined for the Dutch market. However, this African transport corridor is notorious for being a hotspot for child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Every year, thousands of children along this route are abused. Through the EmProtect+ (Empower to Protect) project, we are actively tackling this issue head-on.
Children are protected from sexual exploitation and, with the support of Terre des Hommes, are given the chance to build a bright future.
Child exploitation hotspots
The East African transport corridor connects countries like Kenya and Ethiopia to Europe, a major market for their products. In 2024 alone, the Netherlands imported nearly 300 million dollars worth of cut flowers from Kenya. However, this vital economic lifeline also has a deadly side for children…
The route is notorious for child trafficking and sexual exploitation hotspots. Every year, thousands of children along this corridor are abused in the commercial sex industry. Truck drivers stopping along the way represent a major group of perpetrators. Entertainment districts with bars, clubs, and cheap hotels have sprung up around these rest stops, putting young girls and boys at high risk of sexual exploitation.
Main causes of child exploitation
Poverty and unemployment are major reasons why children end up in the commercial sex industry. In their communities, sexual exploitation has become normalized. Some children are exploited by their own parents, whose mothers were often victims of sexual exploitation themselves as children. In addition, many children are extra vulnerable because they are orphans, for instance, or have run away from home to escape (sexual) violence. Many girls become mothers at a young age, while still being children themselves.
But whatever the cause of sexual exploitation may be, it always has a devastating impact on a child’s mental, emotional, and physical health—this must stop! Every child has the right to protection, a safe environment to grow up in, and a healthy future.
Goal
With EmProtect+, we are taking concrete action to tackle this issue. We protect and support vulnerable children and young people (aged 11–24) who are victims of, or at high risk of, sexual exploitation along the transport corridor in Kenya. We do this through a three-step approach:
Activities
Vocational training for youth
- Young people are given the opportunity to train as mechanics, hairdressers, or beauticians, for example. They also receive instruction in entrepreneurship and learn important life skills that build their resilience. A good education and employment not only lead to better future prospects and economic independence, but also make them less vulnerable to exploitation.
- To help them recover from their experiences, young people receive mental health support, education on (sexual) health and rights, and—if needed—parenting support for their own children.
Engaging parents and the community
- Parents learn parenting skills and how to recognize the risks of exploitation, enabling them to better protect their children.
- 1,200 community members and 700 children participate in sessions on child rights and the impact of sexual exploitation. A community that is aware of the dangers of exploitation and its impact on children is more actively involved in protecting them.
- 1,000 vulnerable families receive support to generate a better income, sustainably improving their economic situation.
Strengthening child protection systems
- Police officers and government officials are trained to recognize and report sexual exploitation, enabling them to remove children from those situations. Local businesses, hotels, and bars are also engaged in these efforts.
- We lobby for better child protection legislation.
- We collaborate with truck drivers’ employers to counter sexual exploitation, and drivers receive education on its impact and legal consequences.
“In the future, I want to open my own beauty salon.”
Tasha is training to become a beautician through EmProtect+. She was still young when her father left the family. Her mother was unable to support them, earning barely a euro a day. As a teenager, Tasha went down the wrong path; she began experimenting with alcohol, leaving her vulnerable to sexual exploitation. She soon became pregnant by a man she met in a bar. Fortunately, she eventually came into contact with a local partner of Terre des Hommes, who helped her escape that situation. Now, she is happily working towards her future!
BBC News undercover in the sex industry along the transport corridor
