Organisational Response to Child Trafficking in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia

Abstract

Organisations such as the United Nations and the United States Department of State have noted that child trafficking in Ethiopia is a very serious problem. Famine, war and disease have devastated many Ethiopian families and children are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking that is internal and external in nature. This qualitative exploratory research examined the perceived effectiveness of the agency and organiational responses to the problem of child trafficking in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. A total of 13 child care organisational managers and directors were recruited from the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle. They were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis. The thematic analysis pointed to challenges and difficulties in funding childcare organisations, problems in identifying victims, poor coordination between agencies, and a lack of leadership from the Mekelle Child Centre Forum.