AFRUCA 25 For 25 Project: Honouring Survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
“As one of the young people who previously benefitted from the invaluable support of AFRUCA, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the role your organisation played in my development and recovery. The guidance and assistance I received during that period contributed to the person i have become today”
AFRUCA Beneficiary - 2010 - 2014
AFRUCA 25 For 25 Modern Slavery Project - 2026 Workplan
Purpose: To collate stories of former AFRUCA service users, tracking their journeys from using our services to the present. We want to explore how our work has been instrumental in their journeys towards recovery, healing and independence.
Project Timetable
May to June - Identification of Survivors-Participants
June - Consultation with Survivors-Participants, Design of Questionnaire, Consent Forms, Arranging Trauma Informed Care, Interviews Timetable Finalisation
July - August - Interviews and Data Collection
August - September - Analysis, Write-Up, Editing and Finalisation
October - Publication, Online Launch event, 25th Anniversary Reception
*All photos are copyright of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children
Message From Debbie Ariyo OBE, Founder of AFRUCA
“I started AFRUCA Safeguarding Children in May 2001 because I was bothered about children being trafficked into the UK for exploitation, being harmed, abused, even killed.
That was exactly 25 years ago.
So many people have passed through our doors in all that time. Many are still in contact with us. Some are not.
I have often wondered - how do we measure the long term impact of all the work we did with the survivors? How can we be sure that the support we provided 15, 20 or 10 years ago has been instrumental in someone’s journey up till the present day? Simply put, how can we be certain that our work has helped to change lives for the better?
To collate all this data, I am delighted we are launching the 25for25 project at AFRUCA.
We will follow the stories of 25 of our former service users we worked with many years ago, tracking their journeys of resilience, survival, recovery and independence. We will capture these stories in a compedium for publication online and hard copy as part of our legacy.
This is important especially because government today makes it seem like victims and survivors of modern slavery are out to scam the system. Our experience at AFRUCA points otherwise. Rather than scamming the system, the people we have helped over the years have overcome the adversity of human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation against all odds. They are to be celebrated, not derided.”
Debbie Ariyo OBE
Founder and CEO of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children
Snapshot of AFRUCA Modern Slavery Support Programmes Through the Years
Between 2001 and 2026, AFRUCA designed and implemented a range of culturally responsive support programmes for survivors of modern slavery. child trafficking and exploitation brought into the UK by human traffickers. Those supported included victims of domestic slavery; sexual slavery, including those affected by juju oath rituals and witchcraft abuse; labour exploitation and more recently people under certificates of sponsorship visas who have fallen victims to various forms of exploitation. We have provided direct support and services to over 1,500 survivors since our inception from our two offices in London and Manchester. Here is a snapshot of services provided:
2001 - Ongoing - 1-2-1 practical and culturally responsive support with accessing statutory services and signposting to other services
2001 - Ongoing - Country expert reports for immigration/asylum appeals and court appearance/support/evidence
2001 - Ongoing - Financial support and support with urgent needs
2001 - Ongoing - Referral to experienced immigration lawyer/solicitor
2001 -Ongoing - Support to attend university graduation, hospital appointments, support during child-births, naming ceremonies, “omuguo”, weddings, and help with employment and job search, education admission etc
2010 - 2018 - Support with legal action against a public authority - OOO Vs Commissioner of Police of the Metropolice with Bhatt Murphy Solicitors. Also supported criminal investigations and prosecutions into cases involving our service users
2011 - 2012 - Theatre for development drama project for survivors of trafficking (with Iroko Theatre Company)
2011- 2019 Monthly peer to peer support forum for survivors, including tours and visits
2013 - 2014 - Video-making project for survivors of trafficking - “Through The Eyes of Survivors” (with Mutiny Media)
2015 - 2018 - 1-2-1 psycho-therapeutic support for survivors of trafficking
2015 - 2018 - Group psycho-therapy sessions for survivors of trafficking
2016-2017 - Music as a method of therapy for survivors of trafficking. “Let The Lyrics Flow” (with Music Relief Foundation)
2016 - 2018 Residential programmes and country tours for survivors of trafficking (travelled by coach and train to Peak District and the Cotswolds)
2019 - 2021 - COVID 19 Befrienders Project for Survivors of Trafficking
2022 - Ongoing - BASNET Modern Slavery Lived Experience Panel
2024-Ongoing - Support Programme for those on Certificates of Sponsorship visa who have experienced exploitation (nationally in partnership with De Butterfly CIC and Tulia CIC, and across Greater Manchester with a consortium of 8 BASNET members).
Our Funders
We are grateful to all the organisations who have funded our anti-trafficking victim support work since our inception in 2001: Comic Relief, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Home Office, City Bridge Foundation, National Lottery Fund, Bodyshop Foundation, Samworth Foundation
AFRUCA Modern Slavery Support Programmes: Key Facts
Majority of our service users since our inception in 2001 are girls and young women trafficked to the UK for domestic slavery. 60% of those we supported are in this category. However, it is possible that the cases of boys and young men were under-reported, especially due to cultural factors.
The case that opened our eyes to the fact of child trafficking was the case of Victoria Climbie in 2000 and was a major factor in the establishment of AFRUCA.
The first known case of child trafficking involving juju and witchcraft was the case of “Boy Adam” in 2001, soon after AFRUCA was established.
From early 2000s to pre-COVID, there was an epidemic of human trafficking for sexual exploitation across Europe using juju, oath rituals and witchcraft. 30% of our service users were young women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation using juju and witchcraft. Many of them were trafficked to other European countries before being re-trafficked and brought to the UK. Some were brought to the UK before retrafficking to other parts of Europe.
European Law enforcement agencies identified a number of Nigerian mafia groups (organised crime) as responsible for the growth in sex trafficking of Nigerian women across Europe.
Over 90% of victims of domestic slavery and sexual exploitation we supported at AFRUCA were originally from Nigeria. Nigeria remains the key source country for our anti-trafficking work at AFRUCA
Majority of UK anti-trafficking and modern slavery prosecutions have involved organised mafia members including the first UK prosecution and conviction for human trafficking using juju in 2011, involving a former AFRUCA service user.
The UK’s first conviction for human trafficking for domestic slavery in 2011 involved one of AFRUCA’s service user.
Also in 2011, AFRUCA supported 4 of our service users in the landmark OOO Vs Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis to bring a case of failure to investigate their cases. The young people won their case against the Police and were awarded compensation.
More recently, our anti-trafficking support programme has targeted people on Social Care Certificate of Sponsorship Visas who have experienced different forms of exploitation and abuse.