The Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, through the Department of Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Ministry of Homeland Security, conducted a human trafficking inspection exercise in the southern and northern regions.
The exercise which began last week has been carried out in Lilongwe, Mchinji, and Dedza Districts in the Central Region before extending to the southern and northern regions. Acting Director of Social Welfare Enock Bonongwe, and some officers visited the Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) shelter home in Rumphi, which accommodates 48 victims.
The shelter offers prayer therapy, art and drawing sessions, nutrition lessons, counselling, sanitation and hygiene education, women empowerment programmes, and family planning services. After visiting the shelter, Bonongwe urged the management to intensify income-generating activities such as backyard gardening to ensure the provision of nutritious food for the victims.
He also emphasised the need to implement sustainability measures and ensure the availability of a first aid kit and other medical supplies. Other officers from the Department visited shelters in Zomba, Blantyre, and Mulanje Districts to assess their operations and provide technical support aimed at strengthening the protection and rehabilitation of trafficking survivors.
The inspection exercise was guided by the Malawi Trafficking in Persons Act of 2015, which mandates that all shelters for victims and survivors of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) be officially gazetted. Currently, the existing shelters are not gazetted.
The process of gazetting a shelter requires thorough inspection by a range of stakeholders, including the Ministry of Homeland Security, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and the Malawi Police Service.
The inspections are aimed at ensuring that these shelters meet the minimum standards for safety, service provision and victim support before they can be officially recognised. Shelters play a vital role in the social welfare system by providing a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable individuals, particularly victims of human trafficking.
They serve as rehabilitation centres where survivors receive psychosocial support, essential life skills, and empowerment opportunities. These facilities bridge the gap between rescue and reintegration, promoting recovery, dignity, and self-reliance among victims.
