Students Warn Peers Against Sex Trafficking on Radio

Five teenage students in the Huancarani district of Peru are informing the 5,000 listeners of their radio show how to spot and report human traffickers targeting poor farming villages in the Andean highlands.

“Fellow friends, anyone can be trafficked. It’s happening in our communities,” says 15-year-old Dina Mamani, one of the hosts of the ‘Murky Waters: Clear Voices’ radio show. “Stay alert, stay informed.”

Official data shows around 80% of reported human trafficking cases in Peru in 2017 to involve victims recruited by false, well-paying job offers. Indigenous teens, known for living in poverty with struggling parents, are key targets for traffickers – and radio, being the main source of information due to a lack of internet coverage and low literacy rates, is a crucial tool to combat this issue.

“Don’t be fooled by offers of work that pay a lot of money,” highlights 16-year-old co-host Carla Zunilda, who was targeted two years ago by a man offering her $600 a month to wait tables. “Know the risks. Say no to job offers, keep studying.”