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Here’s a piece of good news!
Cecilia Oebanda, the founder of 24-year-old Manila-based nonprofit Visayan Forum, has been recognized as one of the 10 leaders from around the world for her work against child-trafficking.
According to Aries Joseph Hegina of Inquirer.net, Oebanda is the first Filipina to receive a Child10 Award. She is currently in Stockholm, Sweden to receive the award.
Child10 Award celebrates 10 leaders across the globe who are fighting and seeking an end to child trafficking. Past winners include Oby Ezekwesili of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Oebanda’s Visayan Forum is an organization that “seeks to build a society where everybody is free, protected and empowered.” It operates safe houses for victims of human trafficking.
“We share this success with our partners in the government, civil society, private sector, fait-based groups, school and communities without whom VF would not have been able to save countless lives,” Oebanda said.
Oebanda was imprisoned during the Marcos dictatorship and raised two of her four children while serving time. When she was finally released, Oebanda began building Visayan Forum to fight modern slavery and child trafficking.
Congratulations!
Photo: Inquirer.net
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