The presenter will share her lived experience as a human trafficking survivor from Uganda and highlight the journey from vulnerability and exploitation risk to survivor advocacy and leadership. The presentation describes how she was recruited with promises of well-paying employment abroad, which led to travel to a foreign country where she faced uncertainty, language barriers, and significant safety risks. The session outlines the recruitment process and the challenges that many young women face when seeking opportunities abroad. The presenter discusses the realities encountered while overseas, including isolation, lack of support networks, and exposure to exploitative situations that often affect trafficking victims. After returning home, she faced the complex process of reintegration, including emotional healing, rebuilding trust, and managing financial and social pressures. Through resilience and support from survivor-focused initiatives, the presenter began transforming lived experience into advocacy, community education, and survivor empowerment work. Drawing from her engagement in survivor-led initiatives and community awareness activities, the presenter highlights the importance of survivor leadership in anti-trafficking responses. The session emphasizes that survivors possess critical insights that can strengthen prevention strategies, survivor support services, and policy responses. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of survivor experiences and the role of survivor leadership in building more effective anti-trafficking efforts. The presentation concludes with recommendations for organizations, professionals, and policymakers to intentionally include survivor voices in programs and decision-making processes.
Prossy Nansubuga is a survivor advocate, Rotarian, and volunteer with Mwagale Foundation, a survivor-led initiative supporting victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence. Drawing from lived experience, she engages in community awareness, survivor empowerment, reintegration support, and promotes survivor leadership in anti-trafficking and broader social justice efforts.