For many survivors of human trafficking, the road to freedom
doesn’t end with rescue, as it often stalls at the airport.
Trapped in foreign countries, far from home and without the
means to return, their trauma lingers long after the abuse has stopped.
But now, a new partnership between HAART Kenya and Kenya
Airways is helping survivors take that final, vital step: coming home.
In what is being hailed as a global first, the national
carrier has signed a commercial agreement with the anti-trafficking
organization to provide discounted airfares for survivors of human trafficking
stranded in Southeast Asia.
The deal was signed on Friday, July 25, at Kenya Airways
headquarters in Nairobi.
“This is more than a partnership; it’s a declaration of
compassion and responsibility,” said Jennifer Njuguna of Kenya Airways, who
spoke at the signing ceremony.
“To the survivors, we see you, we stand with you, and we are
committed to bringing you home.”
The new arrangement aims to ease the financial burden faced
by survivors, many of whom were lured abroad with false promises of jobs, only
to end up in forced labour or sex trafficking rings.
Already this year, 153 Kenyans have been rescued from
trafficking in Myanmar. Of those, 27 were repatriated in February, 48 in March,
and 78 in April, thanks to joint efforts by HAART Kenya, the Kenyan government,
and the Kenyan Embassy in Thailand. But many more remain stranded.
For those still trapped, the cost of a plane ticket home can
be a cruel barrier — a painful reminder that freedom isn’t free.
“This partnership with Kenya Airways is a statement of
values,” said Tabitha Njoroge, CEO of HAART Kenya.
“It matters deeply how survivors are treated when they board
a flight home. It’s often their first step toward healing.”
Kenya Airways becomes the first airline globally to offer
dedicated travel support for human trafficking survivors — a move that builds
on its 2023 anti-trafficking policy and HAART’s trauma-informed approach.
The agreement comes just days before World Day Against
Trafficking in Persons on July 30.
This year’s theme, “Human Trafficking is an Organised Crime:
End the Exploitation,” underscores the scale and complexity of trafficking
networks, and the need for coordinated responses.
“This is a model of what’s possible when the private sector
and civil society work together,” said Maj (Rtd) James Nge’no, Manager of
Airport Security Operations at Kenya Airways. “It’s about restoring dignity.
Every survivor deserves a safe journey home.”
As survivors begin to return, some tearfully reuniting with
family at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport , the partnership offers not just
tickets, but hope.
