'Many of the women simply choose the wrong way to experience freedom. Many are deceived and, in search of freedom, they put themselves in slavery. Many of them are uneducated and are fearful to express their experience. We try to help them understand that what has been done to them has broken their human rights.'
As a result, evangelical Christians in Albania have started to forge links with their government's anti-trafficking committee and organisations such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which is a leading organisation in Albania for victims of trafficking. Additionally, the Protestant community, a fraction of Albania's population, has joined forces with the established Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches to combat trafficking together.
'The values that Christians have are important within Albanian society', says Hannah.
'Trafficking victims have suffered so much - they need a family to love them, and what more can we do than to show them the love of Christ? We can care for them and speak out for them.
We can fight for what's right for them. The Church is powerful and cares for victims, helping them overcome what they've been through'. In practice this means a busy year ahead for Hannah. In June five Albanians representing the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches, along with an IOM worker, are coming to the UK to learn about CHASTE and how it works with the government's United Kingdom Human
Trafficking Centre.
There will then be a trip to Albania in July for meetings with the government there. Hannah explains, 'It's such a key thing that we're linking with CHASTE and that we see a good model of practice between churches and the government in the UK. We want to replicate that model in Albania and CHASTE can guide us in doing that. My dream would be to set up an office and for Albanians to take this forward'.
Training in Albanian churches will be launched this November in co-operation with the
government. Christians will not only be made more aware of the whole issue of human trafficking but also learn how to respond if someone comes into the church who is a victim - or even a trafficker. Hannah is writing a syllabus for the training and co-ordinating the production of a resource book that will list every anti-trafficking and victim support service currently being provided throughout the 12 regions of Albania. 'This is key information of who people can turn to when they have a problem so that they are not putting themselves or the church in any danger,' explains Hannah.
This, she hopes, will be just the start of what the Church can achieve. With unemployment high in Albania, the plan is to assist those who have been trafficked in getting jobs through business training schemes. Another need is accommodation. Sedika explains, 'Families think trafficked girls have somehow made a mistake in life.
They will deny they exist, because of the shame factor that is put on the family and the community. Most of the girls are obligated to find another place to live, to make new friendships and lose the family forever'. To address this, the Church aims to set up adult foster placements whereby Christians take these girls into their homes for a
period of six months to get them reintegrated into society.
