(ANS – Madrid) - Tomorrow, Tuesday 24 June, the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid launches a campaign "No estoy en venta" (I am not for sale) to denounce the scourge of child trafficking and raise funds to fight it. At 6.00 p.m.(GMT +2) in the Auditorium of the CaixaForum Madrid, there will be a panel discussion on human trafficking in West Africa and a screening of the documentary that gives its name to the campaign.

More than a million boys and girls in the world are victims of trafficking. "The number increases if we take into account illegal adoption, organ trafficking and forced marriages," says Ana Muñoz, spokesperson for the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid.  With this documentary “No estoy en venta" we want to draw attention to a tragic reality that confronts Salesian missionaries every day in countries in Africa and Asia."

"We give a home to young people who have suffered the tragedy of  being sold for less than 20,000 CFA francs, about €30,” says Fr Juan José Gómez, a Spanish Salesian, director of the youth hostel in Porto Novo, Benin.

The documentary features first-hand accounts by Rachid and Jules, two children of Benin who were sold, exploited and abused. In addition, the documentary also shows the work the Salesian missionaries and their lay collaborators are doing to rehabilitate boys and girls who have been trafficked, and the way this problem is being actively addressed.

The documentary  was directed by Raúl de la Fuente, Winner of the 2014 Goya Awards in the Best Short Film category with "Minerita."

Tomorrow's programme includes:
1. Presentation of the documentary No estoy en venta

2. Roundtable discussion with contributions from

Jesús Díez Alcalde, Lieutenant Colonel and analyst of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies
Nicolás Castellano, journalist with Cadena SER and expert on immigration
Fr Juan José Gómez, SDB, director of the Don Bosco Centre in Porto Novo

A short clip of the documentary can be seen here.

Posted on 23/06/2014