Centering Survivor Leadership
One of the strongest messages emerging from the Forum was the need to place people with lived experience at the heart of the global response to modern slavery.
Survivors possess knowledge that is critical to understanding how exploitation happens, where protection systems fail, what barriers survivors encounter, and what meaningful recovery and reintegration should look like.
For Mwagale Foundation, survivor leadership goes beyond providing survivors with opportunities to tell their stories. It means recognizing survivors as experts, advocates, leaders, and decision-makers whose experiences can help shape more effective policies and interventions.
The Forum provided an important platform for survivor leaders such as Ms. Ndagire to contribute directly to discussions influencing the future of anti-trafficking work at national, regional, and global levels.
Mwagale Foundation joins The Salvation Army for the World Day of Prayer for victims of human trafficking. Discover how prayer fuels action, healing, and hope.
Lopei is among the communities in Karamoja facing a serious risk of child trafficking. Here, trafficking is not a distant or abstract concern. It can involve a familiar face, a trusted neighbour or someone offering a struggling family an opportunity that appears genuine.
Behind such promises, however, a child may be separated from their family and taken to a street, town or city into a life they never chose.
To strengthen child trafficking prevention in Lopei, Mwagale Foundation recently organised a community baraza that placed children at the centre of the conversation.
Through drama, poetry and song, the children portrayed how trafficking can begin and the harm it can cause. Their performances showed:
A promise made to a parent experiencing hardship Trust placed in a familiar person A child being separated from their family The child being taken away from home A future shaped by exploitation rather than choice
The children transformed a complex child-protection issue into stories and experiences that community members could easily understand and remember.
Helping Communities Recognise Trafficking Risks
Statistics are important in understanding the scale of child trafficking. However, community-based performances can communicate the reality of trafficking in a deeply personal and relatable way.
When a child portrays the moment another child is lured away from their mother, the audience does more than listen. Community members begin to recognise how trafficking can happen in everyday life.
Recently, we had the privilege of spending valuable time with one of our Anti-Human Trafficking Clubs at Latome Girls Primary School in Karamoja, alongside Ndagire Joanitah, CEO of Mwagale Foundation, and Mirriam Kusiima.
In a powerful demonstration of compassion, Mwagale Foundation extended life-changing support to children at Nakichelet Primary School in Napak District, Karamoja Region, donating 209 mattresses, mosquito nets, blankets, and bedsheets to rescued child survivors.
At Nsambya Sharing Youth Centre, Mwagale Foundation hosted 'Behind the Scenes: 4 Pillars – Echoes of Hope', a groundbreaking theatre advocacy event where students from Lokodiokodioi and Lotome Girls Primary Schools performed drama, dance, and poetry against child trafficking.
Modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor often overlap in Uganda. This detailed guide breaks down clear definitions, everyday signs in domestic work, farming, and mining, and practical steps to spot fake job offers and protect vulnerable youth.
Mwagale Foundation showcased handcrafted products and services developed by trafficking survivors at the India–Uganda Bilateral Symposium convened by Red Rope Movement and The Salvation Army, proving the transformative power of safe economic pathways.
The Uganda-India Bilateral Symposium on Human Trafficking convened at Four Points by Sheraton, Kampala, bringing together UCATIP, COPTIP, Willow International, RAHAB Uganda, Kyampisi, and Uganda Police to address cross-border trafficking and survivor repatriation.
Learn how to spot human trafficking red flags in Uganda, from fake domestic worker jobs to fishing site labor and border smuggling. This guide outlines safe reporting protocols, community workshop tips, and trusted NGO contacts.
Mwagale Foundation partnered with Footprint to Freedom at Bugabwe Primary School in Iganga District. Led by CEO Ndagire Joanita, Shibella Joshirah, Nyadoi Philister, survivor leader Kusiima Miriam, and Nalwoga Stecy, the event launched school clubs and featured the Footprint Kids Club performance 'We Are Not For Sale'.
In Mbale City from September 26th–28th, Mwagale Foundation partnered with Salvation Army Uganda to champion 'Humanity Is Not for Sale', conducting sensitization across schools and churches, advocating cross-border collaboration, and supporting survivor reintegration.
Mwagale Foundation, The Salvation Army, and Make a Child Smile convened the 'Light to Life' Roundtable Talk Show on September 22, 2025 in Kampala, discussing the intersection of faith, survivor-led dialogue, and spiritual resilience in anti-trafficking efforts.
Mwagale Foundation and the Uganda Catholic Church convened at Nsambya Sharing Hall on September 11, 2025. Keynote speaker Archbishop Paul Ssemwogerere and Ministry of Internal Affairs Deputy Coordinator Basalirwa Kigenyi Derek revealed 1,068 trafficking cases in 2024 (a 55.5% increase), emphasizing holiday vigilances.
Mwagale Foundation joined COPTIP, UCATIP, GIZ Uganda, British Council, ODPP, Salvation Army, IOM, and Human Trafficking Institute for a walk from National Theatre to Mestil Hotel on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, featuring Guest of Honor Hon. Gen. David Muhoozi.
Mwagale Foundation visited Lotome Girls Primary School in Karamoja to launch an Anti-Human Trafficking Club under the theme 'Break the Silence, Stop the Stigma'. Headmistress Madam Naume outlined urgent operational gaps in food, medical care, and dormitory beds for repatriated children.
Mwagale Foundation successfully launched Anti-Human Trafficking Clubs at Lotome Girls Primary School and Lokodiokodoi Primary School in Napak, Karamoja. Officially inaugurated by CP Julius Twinomujuni (COPTIP), the launch provided mosquito nets, liquid soap skills, drama performance, and 4 acres of cassava, maize, and bean farming support.
Mwagale Foundation, represented by Ms Joan Ndagire Joshirah, participated in a high-level consultation workshop organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) in Nairobi, Kenya, addressing migration, human trafficking, and modern slavery across Africa.
Mwagale Foundation Founder & CEO Ms Joan Ndagire Joshirah represented Uganda at the Global Consultation on Modern Day Slavery in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by Council for World Mission (CWM) to align global action against human trafficking.
Mwagale Foundation conducted a field assessment in Karamoja documenting extreme poverty, water shortages, and inadequate sanitation pushing children to urban centers like Kampala, advocating for essential services to prevent trafficking.
Mwagale Foundation Founder Ms Joan Ndagire Joshirah shared personal theological insights from the Book of Esther at the CWM Global Consultation in Bangkok, reflecting on how empowered leaders must break policies that perpetuate oppression.
Mwagale Foundation attended Mass at St. Paul's Cathedral in Lagos, Nigeria, delivering interactive presentations on human trafficking for youth, young parents, and seniors, while officially launching Mwagale's global YouTube channel.
Comprehensive analysis on how severe water scarcity and drought in Karamoja push families into extreme survival mode, exposing children and young girls to traffickers promising urban work or marriage.
Mwagale Foundation presented at the Student Christian Movement (SCM) tertiary conference at University of Ibadan, conducted interviews with survivor leaders, and staged an original advocacy drama depicting internal trafficking.
Mwagale Foundation participated in the national commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at Kololo SS Grounds under the global theme 'Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking', kicking off with a public awareness march from the Uganda Museum.
Mwagale Foundation participated in the Global Migrant Workers Forum 2024 at Enashipai Resort in Naivasha, Kenya, joining ILO, FAIRWAY Programme, and regional leaders to launch Kenya's National Migration Coordination Mechanism (NCM).
Mwagale Foundation visited the Sen. Daisy Ehanire Danjuma Women Centre in Benin City, met Professor Yinka Omoregbe (Founder, Edo Task Force against Human Trafficking), and consulted NAPTIP Zonal Commander Mr. Nduka Nwanwene for documentary insights.