Ukrainian Girl Rescues Self, Then Siblings From Slavery
Halyna (name changed), 11, lived with her younger brother and sister along with their alcoholic mother and stepfather in a small city in Vynnytsya Oblast. The children’s lives changed forever when one day their mother sold them to traffickers. Halyna and her siblings were moved around from city to city, and ended up begging on the streets of Russia.
The three often suffered from hunger, physical abuse and exposure to the harsh weather. Each day, each child was required to bring back a predetermined amount of money. If they did not meet their quota, they were beaten. For two years they lived this way, begging and hungry, and never attending school. It was a dark and difficult childhood.
While in Russia, they were joined by a 17-year-old girl. Unwilling to suffer any longer, the 17-year-old and Halyna decided to escape and get help. To better their chance for success, Halyna had to make the difficult decision to leave her younger brother and sister behind, promising to return.
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| A drawing by a young victim of trafficking, done in Kyiv Medical
Rehabilitation Center |
The two older girls escaped and hid from their captors by running and living in basements. Eventually the Russian militia found them, and the two girls were moved to a shelter in Belgorod. There, Halyna told authorities about her younger brother and sister still begging in the streets.
Fortunately, she was able to remember her captor’s last address, which helped the authorities to find her siblings and reunite them, allowing her to keep her promise to them. Once they were together again, the Russian militia informed law enforcement authorities in Ukraine and transported Halyna and her siblings home.
After arriving in Ukraine, the Ministry of Interior’s Counter Trafficking Unit of Vynnytsya Oblast contacted a local non-governmental organization (NGO), Progressive Women, which has extensive experience in counter-trafficking activities in the area. The NGO brought the traumatized children to the USAID-supported International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kyiv Medical Rehabilitation Center to address their medical and psychosocial needs.
According to IOM Kyiv, from 2001-2005, 110 out of 2,727 trafficked persons were minors. In 2005, of 39 minors rescued from traffickers, 28 had been used in prostitution, seven had been forced to beg and four had been in forced labor.
The main country of destination for Ukrainian under-age victims is the Russian Federation, with Turkey and Poland following. As a rule, under-age victims of trafficking are exposed to severe violence, multiple rapes, compulsory prostitution and forced labor – all deeply traumatic experiences. For this reason, it is essential that each victim, without exception, receives urgent and adequate help for overcoming the consequences of the psychological and physical traumas.
International, non-governmental, civil society and faith-based organizations, as well as the Government of Ukraine, are collaborating to eradicate trafficking in Ukraine. More than 60 non-governmental organizations - partners of IOM - are working to increase public awareness and prevention. They aid people like Halyna and her siblings and help to return them to a normal life.
Today, Halyna, now 13, resides in an orphanage with her sister and brother. They are in good health and attend school regularly.
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