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 By 25 Modern Slavery Project - 2026 Workplan

May to June - Identification of Survivor-Participants

June - Consultation with Survivor-Participants, Consent and Interview Timetable Finalisation

July - August - Interviews and Data Collection

August - September - Analysis, Write-Up, Editing and Finalisation

September - Publication

Mid to End October - Online Launch, Reception

“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?

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 all 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

  • 2001 - Ongoing - 1-2-1 practical support with accessing statutory services and signposting to other services

  • 2001 - Ongoing - Expert report for immigration/asylum appeals and court appearance/support/evidence

  • 2001 - Ongoing - Financial support and support with urgent needs

  • 2001 - Ongoing - Referral to a lawyer/solicitor

  • 2001 - Ongoing - Support to attend university graduation, hospital appointments, support during child-births, naming ceremonies, weddings, and help with employment, education admission etc

  • 2010 - 2012 - Support with legal action against a public authority 

  • 2011 - 2012 - Theatre for development for srvivors of trafficking (with Iroko Theatre Company) 

  • 2011- 2019 Monthly peer to peer support forum for survivors, including tours and visits 

  • 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 (with Music Relief Foundation)

  • 2016 - 2018 Residential programmes and country tours for survivors of trafficking (travelled by coach and train to Peak District and Cotswolds)

  • 2019 - 2021 - COVID 19 Befrienders Project for Survivors of Trafficking

  • 2022 - Ongoing - BASNET Lived Experience Panel

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