Tialati Raises Awareness on Human Trafficking in Fiji

As a contestant at this week’s Vodafone Tebara Carnival, engineering student Volau Tialati is taking on the challenge to address human trafficking.

Ms Tialati, 19, said this was a global problem and Fiji was not exempted.

“Human trafficking is a global problem and one of the world’s most shameful crimes, affecting the lives of millions of people around the world and robbing them of their dignity,” Ms Tialati said.

“Traffickers deceive women, men and children from all corners of the world and force them into exploitative situations every day.”

The young student, a former Adi Cakobua School student, shares that violence and trafficking do not differentiate.

From Rava estate in Savusavu with maternal links to Natuvu, Wailevu in Cakaudrove, she is currently pursuing her Diploma in Civil Engineering at the Fiji National University.

She is sponsored by Tara’s Supermarket. She chose human trafficking because she believes that not much awareness is done about the subject.

“Human trafficking affects families emotionally and physically,” she said.

“We only get to know about it when someone goes missing or when we see it in the news. We should share information if we see or suspect that someone in that circle, someone who is under the guise of befriending one person - to lure them so that they can be sold off somewhere.

“Human trafficking should be a topic discussed in our homes, villages, and communities. Any suspicious moves or actions need to be reported immediately.”

In a statement earlier this year, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) indicated that between 2023 and 2024, Fiji prosecuted several cases of human trafficking - and domestic trafficking was the most predominant type of trafficking in the country.

Fiji has a population of about 900,000 in urban areas, and children living on the streets, both boys and girls, are more likely to be victims of sexual exploitation.

The Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection recently said it had signalled a powerful call to action against trafficking.

Feedback: sosiveta.korobiau@fijisun.com.fj