Federation Of Catholic Nuns Aided 26,000 Victims Of Human Trafficking
April 16, 2023A federation of Catholic nuns who are devoted to ending human trafficking, Talitha Kum, is being hailed for its great work in 2021. In just the last year, the Rome-based charity organization prevented and rescued more than 26,000 women from being trafficked, worldwide.
Talitha Kum
Talitha Kum is an international network of religious sisters, which was formed in 2009 in response to rising levels of human trafficking. Their name is drawn from an Aramaic expression found in the Gospel of Mark, “Maiden, I say to you, arise.” Today, the organization is active in 92 countries, with 55 national networks that coordinate 6,039 people actively involved in anti-trafficking, on all continents.
Along with identifying and rescuing victims of human trafficking, Talitha Kum also supports those who are rescued with a variety of services including shelter, counseling, and legal assistance. The sisters also offer training to locals in vulnerable regions to be aware of signs of human trafficking. According to their Wikipedia page, the sisters are so dedicated to saving trafficked victims that they have even been known to disguise themselves as prostitutes in order to infiltrate brothels and extract women.
Pandemic
Agenzia Fides spoke with Sr. Abby Avelino, director of Talitha Kum Asia, about their success in 2021, when it was estimated that Talitha Kum lent aid to some 26,065 victims of human trafficking. Sr. Avelino praised the efforts of the organization to raise awareness to this plight, noting that they have been particularly successful at awareness-raising campaigns in schools, parishes, and local communities.
Category: Catholic Church