Two Asians among three nuns were awarded for combating trafficking
Sister Seli Thomas, a member of the sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) in Krishnagar, West Bengal, from India, won the Common Good Award for courage and creativity in tackling exploitation.
Sister Seli prevents the exploitation of young people by reaching out to children in the brothel neighborhood, organizing awareness camps, and training women.
She provides free legal assistance and conducts seminars and workshops for villages, teachers, and students on safe migration and human trafficking. She helped save exploited girls and prosecute traffickers.
The second recipient is Sister Francoise Jiranonda SPC from Thailand, who won the Servant Leadership Award for excellence in network building.
Sister Francoise has opened two schools that protect young Thai women vulnerable to the sex trade. Sister Francoise's activities aim to teach young women free vocational skills after high school and raise public awareness.
She was the executive director of Talitha Kum Thailand, which the Thai government recognized for its advocacy and prevention work.
The third nun is Sister Patricia Ebegbulem SSL from Nigeria. She won the Human Dignity Award for the results she achieved throughout her life in tackling exploitation.
The first Sisters Anti-Trafficking Awards (SATA) were held in London on October 31. They recognized the important work that Catholic nuns have done in the fight against trafficking around the world.
Held in Farringdon, London, the Honorable Theresa May and Sir Mo Farah drew global attention to the outstanding contribution of Catholic nuns to the movement against human trafficking at the inauguration of the Sisters Anti-Trafficking Award.
Adrian Chiles, a broadcaster, journalist, and author, served as the event's host while honoring three nuns for their bravery, innovation, teamwork, and success in defending their communities from human trafficking.
All three sisters are experienced and accomplished anti-slavery advocates.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.