The Impact of COVID-19 on Survivors of Human Trafficking in Kenya: A Participatory Approach

Brady, Emily; McCabe, Helen; Otiende, Sophie; Baya, Rehema; Manji, Yasmin; Sorby, Ruth; Ali Haji, Aisha; Muhunyo, Muthoni

Abstract

Researchers and practitioners are increasingly calling for the involvement of survivors of human trafficking at all levels of, and in all areas of, anti-trafficking research, policy, work and legislation. Although it is now quite common for survivors to be called on to share their stories, if not done sensitively, this risks re-traumatising survivors, impeding or undoing progress in their recovery and side-lining them away from decision-making and the opportunity to exercise agency in the anti-trafficking sphere. Survivors may be used (a term we employ deliberately) by a third party to engage emotionally with policymakers, funders and members of the general
public, and their narratives are often shaped into expected contours – especially of innocence and victimhood – and sometimes even re-purposed without their consent. To counter this, NGOs and practitioners are increasingly engaging with participatory research methods in order to platform survivors. As an emerging field of research and practice, there are nonetheless power dynamics within these collaborations, as well as expectations from survivor narratives which impact how survivors are engaged with and the roles they are allowed to perform.

More equitable, collaborative and inclusive methodologies have already been developed in the Arts, notably ethical storytelling and participatory photography. Our project makes a meaningful intervention in anti-trafficking work by combining these two methodologies: through a series of workshops, 16 survivors were invited to produce complementary stories and photographs that resonated with their lived experience. To our knowledge, this is the first time both methodologies have been employed together in anti trafficking work. Providing participants with a platform through which to produce both images and stories empowered them with multiple creative means to tell their own stories.

We sought to employ these methodologies to help understand the experience of survivors of human trafficking in Kenya, engage them more meaningfully in anti-trafficking work and, ultimately, provide an evidence base for questions around whether ethically-sourced narratives which may or may not fit the expected arc or trope could engage the general public. This project can justifiably claim to be truly trauma-informed and survivor-led, as the project was suspended until survivors independently requested it resume. Our project started in October 2019, running until December 2020. Concerns about ethical practice were paramount, and exacerbated by the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Delays to our project caused by COVID-19 mean we have not yet been able to form conclusions regarding the final aim of our research, but we have been able to address the first two. We found that using these approaches did empower survivors. One interesting finding is how these Arts-based methodologies, and engaging in research, gave survivors a way of escaping the pandemic and its effects on their lives, providing them with meaningful activity and a community. Our project shows that it is possible to conduct participatory, ethical work remotely, even during a pandemic, though this entails a considerable commitment of time from both participants and researchers.

In this article, we first describe the context in which this research was conducted, define the methodological framework used, and outline the methods used within the project. We then explore the impact that COVID-19 had on both the project participants (through consideration of their stories, images and project evaluation feedback forms) and the project itself – as both the participants and practitioners adapted the intended project methodologies and methods. Lastly we share some reflections on what we learned about the use of these methodologies, and recommendations for future work, particularly working remotely in an equitable, ethical, and participatory way with survivors of human trafficking.

Citation

Brady, E., McCabe, H., Otiende, S., Baya, R., Manji, Y., Sorby, R., …Muhunyo, M. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Survivors of Human Trafficking in Kenya: A Participatory Approach. Journal of Modern Slavery, 6(2), 247-266

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 17, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: May 18, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 24, 2021
• Electronic ISSN: 2574-9897
• Publisher: SlaveFree Today
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 247-266
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5558987
• Related Public URLs: https://slavefreetoday.org/journal-of-modern-slavery-volume-6-issue-2-2021/
• Additional Information: Guest editor of issue: Helen McCabe