HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS - MOLDOVA

I was invited to join in a city wide initiative to raise awareness about Human Trafficking in Moldova.  At the time, Moldova was widely cited as the poorest country in Europe, with its population shrinking at a faster rate than any other country in the world.  A lot of this due to the fact that vast numbers of people were leaving to find work in neighboring European countries, where jobs are more prevalent and incomes higher. In the context of this vacuum, criminal gangs have found a perfect niche for human trafficking.  Lured by the prospect of great job opportunities, young women and men are led unknowingly into the hands of these gangs who then manipulate them into forced labour with little or no pay or sexual exploitation.

This pieces were created collaboratively by community members in Cahul, southern Moldova.  Individuals were invited to each paint a single 20x20cm square on the board which eventually formed a striking image, displayed in the heart of the town square.   Above the image, in Moldovan, are the words ‘People should not be sold’.  The creative intervention sat amidst a city wide effort to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.