Togo, Togo

A logal waga or recruiter lived in the victim's village in Central Togo. She was an older woman who took up to three girls to Nigeria every year to work selling on the streets. Sometimes the girls came back alone, sometimes with her. Some of the claimed to have made the equivalent of $55 a day. The victim wanted to earn money to enable her to take a vocaitonal apprenticeship, since her family was no longer able to pay for schooling for the children. The Waga agreed to pay for the victim's trip and deduct it from future wages. One night the victim took $3 from the family's money, packed a few clothes in a plastic bag and went to meet the waga. She and another girl and the waga walked to the highway and caught a car, changing vehicles and drivers many times. Eventually they ended up in Cotenou, a city in the southeast part of Benin near Nigeria. The girls were hidden for two days in a house, then smuggled into Nigeria in a car taking a back road.

Location

Togo · Togo · 2005 (location generalized to protect survivors)

Response & intervention

Law enforcement was not contacted. For four months the victim worked without pay and with very little rest. Then she became very sick and began to lose weight. She begged the waga to take her home. At first the waga only laughed at her, but eventually agreed to take her back. The victim's mother was shocked at the sight of her daughter when she arrived home because she was so sick. Since then, she has partially recovered but still feels sick. Financial aid was provided by an NGO called AHUEFA, enabling the victim to study to become a seamstress. She has completed one year of a three year course. AHUEFA, an NGO Interview conducted by CARE Togo and the Peace Corps in December 1995.

Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). We don't have a verifiable source on file yet — use “Report a problem” below to add one.

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