Kenya, Germany partner to create child trafficking awareness via film

By Samuel Ouma Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) through the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit, has partnered with the German Embassy in Nairobi, in producing films meant to highlight and increase awareness of the prevalence of child trafficking in Kenya. “In collaboration with The Kenya Film Commission and the embassy Directorate has taken a bold approach in airing some of the many challenges children living in slums face via a movie titled Supastaz,” said the DCI. Filmed in Mathare and Kibera settlements in Nairobi, the film had over 150 participants including talented children who reside in various slums within the city. The film’s key cast being part of One Fine Day, a Kibera-based children’s arts platform that exposes the children’s hidden talents and empowers them through creative arts. The film is based on a nine-year-old girl who seeks to enroll in a dancing competition alongside her friends. What appears to be a joyous endeavour for the children turns catastrophic as a child trafficking cartel targets the competition in order to source its next victims. DCI Director George Kinoti has been stressing the importance of such collaborations, pointing out that while poverty is a major contributor to child trafficking, a lack of awareness in society amplifies the vulnerability of families, making them more vulnerable to traffickers. According to the DCI, sleuths are working around the clock to track down those responsible for cyberbullying and sexual extortion, which are on the rise due to increase use of the internet. Since human trafficking harms both the victim and the victim's loved ones, DCI is urging the public to support such artists by watching the film.