The psychological wellbeing of human trafficking victims and their significant Oohers

Abstract

Uganda has 77 % of its population under the age of 25years which led the Ugandan government to embrace labor externalization in a bid to curb the rampart unemployment faced in the country. As such many agencies sprouted with which more than likely intensified human trafficking a practice that has existed as slave trade for centuries. This study aimed to explore how the experiences of the trafficked victims affected not only their psychological well-being but that of their significant others as well. The phenomenological research approach was employed through which in-depth open-ended interviews were conducted on 12 returnees and 4 significant others. These respondents were purposefully sampled as well as snow balling and they live in the Wakiso district and greater Kampala region. The interviews were conducted in Luganda, using an interpreter, and in English. All the interviews were audio recorded. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Three themes were identified. Many victims to human trafficking are lured into this vice in the hope to get better standards of living as well as attain independence. For this strive, many have fallen victim to the human trafficking vice which endangers their psychological well-being the latter being something that we all desire for. With the world becoming a global village, and yet our culture secretive, many have made decisions to venture into labor externalization with little or no due diligence neither consultation from the persons that are resourceful. As a basic human right, every individual deserves the right to have the right information which will equip them prior to decision making. To achieve this for the purpose of this study, awareness of indicators of human trafficking needs to be spelt out at grass root levels and its effects to one’s psychological well-being delineated. Further still, there is need to have the clarity of the work one is going to do and the terms of reference plainly addressed by all the parties; the person going to work, their significant other(s), the agency and the potential employer.