Church takes anti-human trafficking message to the streets of Ennerdale

While South Africa continues to grapple with a range of social challenges, the Good News Church of the Nazarene in Ennerdale has chosen to shine a spotlight on one of the country’s most overlooked crimes – human trafficking.

As part of its year-long awareness campaign, the church hosted a Human Trafficking Motorcade on Saturday, July 18, taking the message directly into the heart of the community.

Supported by the Ennerdale SAPS, Ennerdale Community Policing Forum (CPF), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Ladies of Hope, Lifeline and other stakeholders, the motorcade travelled through the streets of Ennerdale, stopping at various locations to educate residents about the warning signs, dangers and realities of human trafficking.

Event organiser, Cherforice Absalon, said the church believes awareness should extend beyond the walls of the church and into the community. “This was for people not to come to us, but for us to go out to the people,” she said.

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Absalon explained that the church identifies pressing issues affecting the community each year and focuses its outreach efforts on raising awareness and providing practical support.

She said while awareness campaigns have been held and will continue throughout 2026, the motorcade played a significant role in reaching people who may not otherwise attend awareness events. “Human trafficking is one of the issues that we are ignorant about. There are many things that we don’t know,” she said.

The initiative also brought support services closer to the community, allowing residents to engage directly with organisations that assist vulnerable individuals and survivors.

By taking the campaign to the streets, organisers hope more people will recognise the signs of human trafficking, know where to seek help, and play a role in protecting vulnerable members of the community.