Monrovia — The Lutheran Church in Liberia in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Labour have begun a Psychosocial Training Intervention for fifty women who returned from Oman.
Speaking during the opening of the event on Monday, January 16, 2022, at the Lutheran Compound in Monrovia, the Minister of Labour Cllr. Charles H. Gibson, Chairman of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia used the opportunity to inform the returned trafficked Ladies that after the training, each will receive US$1,500 in cash or kind to resume their lives and wish them well after the reintegration.
He said the Government of Liberia is not doing a favor for the ladies because it is the duty of government noting that "it is the duty of every responsible government to seek the interest of its citizens."
Minister Gibson said, the Ministry of Labour and its partners have developed a dosage of things that took place in Oman with the ladies both physical, psychosocial, and financial support.
He said the Ministry of Labour and partners have realized to further provide psychosocial engagement before they are exposed to entrepreneurship and as such, experts have been brought in to provide training for the ladies with regards to psychosocial and business management.
He emphasized the importance of psychosocial training for the ladies at this time saying the training will be in two phases after which, they will be prepared for reintegration.
He hailed the United States Embassy, IOM, GOL, and partners for their support in ensuring that the reintegration package is made available.
He told the Ladies that trafficking is not about politics and that GOL spent thousands of dollars of taxer money to prosecute those who trafficked them. He indicated that development is not all about the roads, and hospitals built by the government but human development "You know what it would be done if we lost you people sitting.
"You know what contribution you people can make to this country if you are empowered? It is far-weight building a hospital sometimes, but human development should be a priority number one because it is the human that rips the infrastructural. So, we are pleased with this partnership to put this human trafficking thing behind us, and you longer be called victims, you are now survivors," he cautioned the Ladies.
Also speaking, the Country Director of IOM in Liberia Mohammed S. Diallo assured the ladies that IOM and the Ministry of Labour will fight for them, and their safety and ensure that their dignity is upheld as they return to Liberia.
He said that the psychosocial training being carried out is the first phase of the reintegration of the ladies into society.
"In our discussion with the Minister, we agreed that it is necessary for an expert on mental health to give you training so that you can discuss with them and see where you have been affected mentally before you are reintegrated"
He told the ladies that IOM and the Ministry of Labour do not discourage migration but what they do discourage is illegal migration. Because they care for their citizens, the young people noting that with illegal migration will be violated and abused and this is the reason why we try to discourage it.
He indicated that the IOM and the Ministry of Labour are going to reintegrate the ladies into society by providing ten days of psychosocial and business training, thereafter, they will work with the integration officers to start their reintegration into society through an activity that will bring them income and revenue.
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Earlier, Mr. Philip Nushann, Director, Lutheran Church in Liberia, Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Program (LCL-THRP), gave the overview of the training and activities of Lutheran Church in Liberia.
He said one of the programs of the church is to provide psychosocial training for those in need and communities.
He told the participants that the training is very important because the issue of trauma healing is critical to social work, in that some look very well but are living with huge trauma and once they do not heal, it will affect their interactions with the family, friends, society and personal development.
It is very critical to deal with issues that have caused harm physically and psychically.
