Featured photo: Location taxi operation at Phillip Goldson International Airport receiving education material from RET representative (Photo by RET)

Article by Marco Lopez, Communications Officer for RET Belize

In commemoration of the United States National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, recognized annually on Thursday, January 11, 2024, RET Belize launched the public awareness campaign for the Transport Leaders Empowered Through Education, Awareness, and Effective Policy Change on Human Trafficking in Belize (TLEAP) project. 

As part of Objective 2 for this project, the RET team partnered with representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Belize to distribute educational material with information geared towards preventing instances of human trafficking within the transport sector. 

While the primary focus was distributing the material to transport sector personnel and affixing said materials at key transport hubs (i.e., bus terminals, water taxi locations, and aerodromes), the public also received bumper stickers and wallet cards featuring vital information. 

The launch began in earnest on Wednesday, January 10, with the RET Belize team, in the persons of Country Director, Mrs. Cherese Ferguson and TLEAP Project Officer, John Arana, making an appearance on the Open Your Eyes morning show produced by Channel 5 Belize. 

The following day, the team hit the ground, starting with the Belize City Bus Terminal and the surrounding vicinity. The educational material was well-received, with several transport sector personnel sharing their encounters and experiences with human trafficking in their field of work. 

Above: The RET Belize team and members of the CSO Coalition at the Belize City Terminal for the first day of the TLEAP Public Awareness Strategy Launch (Photo by RET)

In addition to the RET team, representatives from the Youth Enhancement Service (YES) and Pathlight, two CSOs based in Belize City, also participated in Thursday’s distribution. By the end of the day’s activities, a total of 281 pieces of educational material had been shared. 

On Friday, January 12, 2024, the RET team headed to the capital city of Belmopan to continue this segment of the public awareness exercise. Significantly, Chief Transport Officer, Leon Gentle, representing the Ministry of Transport, was on the ground with the RET team and CSO representatives, assisting with the distribution of the material to transport stakeholders. 

He emphasized the importance of sensitizing transport sector stakeholders to the ills of human trafficking. Also present on Friday were representatives from the Human Rights Commission, the Child Development Foundation, and Help for Progress, all Belmopan-based CSOs. By the end of the day, a total of 219 pieces of material were distributed by the team on the ground.  

Photos (in order): 1) In Belmopan, the RET team and CSO Coalition members were joined by the Chief Transport Officer, Lean Gentle for distribution in the capital city (Photo by RET), 2) Poster distribution at Water Taxi Location in Belize (Photo by RET), 3) SAFE Belize project officer, Hector Sabido sharing anti-human trafficking bumper stickers local police (Photo by RET)

The public awareness campaign for the TLEAP project will continue its outreach activities at the Western and Northern border crossings and at a well-known illegal crossing in northern Belize. Additionally, the RET team will join representatives from the Transport Department to distribute additional material at designated checkpoints across the country.  

To help us continue this critical work in Belize, consider making a recurring donation to RET today.