The international network of Catholic nuns, Talitha Kum, has managed to rescue and save more than 26,000 women from human trafficking in Asia in 2021. 

Newsdesk (31/07/2022 3:45 PM  Gaudium Press) A large network of Catholic nuns rescued about 26,000 women from human trafficking in Asia in 2021.

The efforts of religious women who are part of the international network Talitha Kum have succeeded in rescuing and saving about 26,000 women in Asia from human trafficking, according to Fides news agency.

Talitha Kum – Little Girl, Get Up

Founded by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), Talitha Kum is an organization made up of 65 Catholic organizations, NGOs, international, national and governmental organizations from all over the world.

Talitha Kum which comes from Aramaic and means “little girl, get up”, is the command given by Our Lord to resurrect Jairus’ daughter (Mk 5:41).

The Talitha Kum network aims to eradicate human trafficking, especially the exploitation of the most vulnerable such as women, adolescents, migrants and refugees.

A large network of people, organizations and countries 

The organization, which has 3521 members from 205 religious congregations in 20 Asian countries, succeeded in rescuing more than 26,000 women from sexual exploitation, forced marriage and forced labour last year.

Sister Abby Avelino, Talitha Kum’s director and Maryknoll missionary in Asia, said the continent’s socio-economic and political crisis has further aggravated exploitation and human trafficking on the continent.

Talitha Kum’s actions to combat human trafficking are many. Prevention, through awareness campaigns, remains an effective weapon in this fight.

Prevention and awareness campaigns

Campaigns have been carried out in person, but with the arrival of the pandemic, campaigns have been carried out online. This allowed Talitha Kum to open V: one in Bangladesh and the other in Vietnam.

Thanks to a prevention program called Economy of Sufficiency, women in areas away from big cities are taught to “manage natural food resources”. This is intended to decrease their vulnerability in the face of exploitation.

“Young Ambassadors against Trafficking” is another important prevention program, which is present in 10 countries in Asia. The program aims to empower young men and women to engage other young people in the fight against human trafficking. (FM)

Compiled by Roberta MacEwan