Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lagos (Agenzia Fides)- “During my last visit to Nigeria in June 2005, I realised yet again the necessity of a centre to combat human trafficking and help women and minors trapped in this criminal activity ” Consolata missionary Sr Eugenia Bonetti told Fides. Sr Bonetti is USMI (Union of Italian Religious Superiors) delegate for the office to combat Human Trafficking said: “We knocked on many doors and in the end reached an agreement with the Italian Bishops’ Conference CEI committee for third world charity. CEI stressed the need to have a local person to facilitate communication from Nigeria with the CEI offices”. Work began in August 2006 to build a Centre in Benin City which should be opened in July this year.
The centre has various goals: prevent young women from leaving their country for the “promised land”; promote prevention campaigns, and course of formation; restore the dignity, freedom and identity of many exploited women; help those who return to Nigeria, either expelled or voluntary repatriation, often abducted and without identity papers, to reinsert themselves in the family and in society to make a new life; support and protect families from acts of revenge by traffickers; build a concrete network to promote collaboration and communication with various organisations at home and abroad.
USMI and its Nigerian counterpart began to work together in 2000 when USMI chairperson Mother Teresa Simionato invited Nigerian chairperson Sr. Patricia Ebegbulem and two other sisters to visit Italy and see for themselves the difficulties of thousands of Nigerian women and girls imported to Italy and forced into prostitution.
On retuning to Nigerian the Nigerian Religious, deeply troubled to see the distressful situation of so many of their sister Nigerians, immediately informed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and other religious communities. In 2002 the Bishops used a pastoral letter on the matter: “Restoring Dignity to the Women of Nigeria”, and the local religious communities set up a Committee for the Support of the Dignity of Women with offices in Benin City.
With the help of Caritas Italy, the Committee purchased the land for a three story building to include offices for counselling of abused women and families and promoting a network of collaboration and communication with bodies in Nigeria and abroad; and a home for women in need of assistance, medical care, protection and social reintegration; a community of sisters of different congregations will offer services of counselling, information, and management. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/4/2007 righe 45 parole 576)
