Cross-Sector Alliance Symposium: Uniting to End Human Trafficking

Human trafficking remains a pressing challenge in refugee settlements and vulnerable communities, where displacement and socio-economic instability increase risks of exploitation. Footprint to Freedom, as a survivor-led organisation, has been intentional in strengthening the ethical identification, protection, and empowerment of victims and survivors of human trafficking across Uganda and the region. Our approach ensures that prevention begins long before exploitation occurs, by building awareness, enabling safe reporting, and supporting coordinated community responses. Uganda continues to record high numbers of identified trafficking victims each year, yet many more remain unseen due to limited screening systems and fragmented referral pathways. These gaps directly inform our leadership in the Kompass Project, where our survivor-informed methodologies enhance safe, confidential, and dignified screening practices, improve multisector referral systems, and ensure that interventions truly reflect the lived experiences and needs of vulnerable populations.  

Assessments conducted in 2024 revealed that over 60% of refugees interviewed were

unaware of available protection mechanisms, highlighting the urgency of expanded

awareness, stronger community-based prevention systems, and improved coordination

among actors working in refugee settings.

Building on lessons from the pilot, Kompass Project Phase II launched in early 2025 in

Nakivale Refugee Settlement, home to more than 200,000 refugees from DRC, Burundi,

Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and South Sudan. This phase expands awareness

initiatives, deepens vulnerability assessments, and strengthens empowerment pathways for

survivors within refugee communities.