All of Europe has its eyes on Poland and Ukraine as the two countries prepare to host the UEFA soccer championship Euro 2012 this June. Millions of tourists will descend upon both countries to partake in the soccer madness and cheer on their favorite European teams.
Restaurants and tourist attractions are gearing up for the onslaught of fans they will receive in the coming weeks and prices on just about everything are skyrocketing as they anticipate a spike in demand. Sadly, there is another industry that will see a heightened increase and demand during the upcoming Euro 2012 events: The sex industry.
Some of the hotel attendees
According to some statistics there are more than 50,000 prostitutes in Ukraine and one in 5 of these young women are minors. Because of the increase in population surrounding the Euro events, the demand for the use of women for sex will greatly increase. Many of these women taken into sex slavery against their will and trafficked from other parts of Ukraine and from abroad.
In order to bring awareness and fight against human trafficking, our Orphan’s Promise team in Kiev partnered with the US based ministry FREE International to hold a one of a kind training for hotels in Ukraine.
An Important Learning Experience
“Hotels are the first line of defense, “said Lowell Hochhalter of FREE International, “Because that is where most of these young women will be passing through.”
Orphan’s Promise partnered with the city of Kiev to gather over 30 prominent hotels for a one-day training. It was the first such event to ever take place in Kiev, uniting competing hotel chains together around a common goal– that the sex industry in Ukraine will end and young women would be returned to their families.
Hotel employees were given practical information on how to spot potential human traffickers and how to identify victims. They were also given the opportunity to join a new campaign that will help spread educational resources in their hotels and will provide a hotline to report suspicious activity and potential risks.
The Euro-Cup will take place in Ukraine from June 8-July 1st and CBN’s Orphan’s Promise is honored to play a part in spreading the cause of justice and speaking up for those who do not have a voice.
