Makeni, Sierra Leone, 2009
Sierra Leone SL
Twenty-two children, aged 4 to 16, were trafficked to the United States allegedly under the auspices of ‘Help A Needy Child International (HANCI), which operates an orphanage and a home for destitute children in Sierra Leone’s northern town of Makeni. During Sierra Leone's civil war, parents placed their children in Cherith orphanage, operated by HANCI, in Makeni and then were flown to the U.S. through neighboring countries (Ghana, Guineau) for the purposes of adoption. It is allegated that the accused traffickers established their organization under the HANCI name; however, HANCI states that they do not have any affiliation with them. Maine Adoption Placement Service (MAPS) in the United States confirmed that they received 29 children from Sierra Leone via the accused traffickers. However, they did not know that the children were not orphans.