Arise celebrates anti-trafficking sisters in Zambia

Arise was proud to host the third and final annual Sisters Anti-Trafficking Awards (SATAs) in Lusaka last month, along with co-hosts UISG and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

The SATAs is the annual celebration of three sisters, as representatives of their congregations and networks, who have demonstrated exceptional courage, creativity, collaboration and achievement in the protection of their communities from human trafficking. This year, the theme of the SATAs was “Faith and Leadership United: Together to End Violence.”

Facilitated by Paddy Mukando and Kunda Mando, the awards event opened with a video address from Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Johannesburg. This was followed by a roundtable bringing together expert speakers and advocates to share global perspectives, with a strong emphasis on women’s voices and leadership.

Contributors to the discussion included Pauline Akinyi Juma (Kenya), founder and director of Rebirth of a Queen; Sr. Rosemary Nyirumbe (Uganda), director of a shelter; Sr. Kayula Lesa (Zambia), coordinator of Talitha Kum Zambia (TAKUZA); and Kevin Highland (UK), former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

The Human Dignity Award laureate - Sr. Martha Pelloni

Sr. Martha Pelloni (Carmelitas Misioneras Teresianas), working in Argentina, won the Human Dignity Award presented by Sr. Jane Wakahiu, Ph.D., Associate Vice President of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Maria Soledad Morales, one of Sr. Martha Pelloni's students, was raped and murdered in 1990. This event marked Sr. Pelloni's commitment to supporting the human rights of children. Sr. Pelloni has emerged as a leading voice for children’s rights in Argentina, organising public mobilisations and accompanying families in their pursuit of justice. Sr. Pelloni's advocacy has extended from grassroots action to national policy change, most notably through her role as a principal promoter of the Lucio Law, enacted unanimously in 2022. The law strengthens protections for children, removes statutes of limitation for abuse, and mandates training for public officials, marking a significant step in institutional prevention.

(Maria Teresa García Rodríguez - Superior General of Sr. Martha’s congregation - collected the award on Sr. Pelloni's behalf)

The Servant Leadership Award laureate - Sr. Margaret Ng

Sr. Margaret Ng (Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart), working in Australia, received the Servant Leadership Award presented by Sr. Mary John Kudiyiruppil, Vice Executive Secretary of the UISG.

Sr. Margaret founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart Counter Trafficking Programme back in 2004 and has been working against trafficking ever since. In partnership with the Salvation Army, Sr. Margaret also founded a safehouse in Sydney for women who have been trafficked and continues to visit every week. Sr. Margaret's Chinese Malay cultural background and ability to speak three languages, gives her a unique toolset to assist survivors individually and in groups in the enculturation process.

A co-worker of Margaret’s gave this testimony

"In 2015 Margaret, with four parishioners in a Catholic parish in Sydney, founded PATH (Parish Against Trafficking of Humans). The group focuses on awareness raising, advocacy and support of victims of Human Trafficking. The group is well established now and Margaret remains a supportive force. Margaret regularly collaborates closely with Be Slavery Free, Red Cross, Anti-Slavery Australia and Forced Marriage Network. In one instance we were able to assist a victim of forced marriage to return from overseas, after she had fled to the airport in her pyjamas."

The Common Good Award laureate - Sr. Benjamine Kimala Nanga

Sr. Benjamine Kimala Nanga (Comboni Missionary Sisters), working in Chad, received the Common Good Award from Ian Sweet, CEO of the Arise Foundation.

The majority of Sr. Benjamine’s ministry work has taken place in Peru, where she served for several years and took on a coordinating role with Red Kawsay Peru. Working at the grassroots level, Sr. Benjamine trained youth leaders in public schools, engaged directly with communities—particularly around major bus stations—and organised workshops with parishes across the Andes, the Amazon, and the coastal regions. As one of the first religious sisters trained in anti-trafficking through Talitha Kum, she grounded her work in strong ethical values and a restorative approach, with a particular focus on education, psychosocial support, and long-term accompaniment for adolescent survivors.

In 2024, Sr. Benjamine returned to Chad, where she now serves as principal of a centre for girls. Remaining true to her mission, she continues her grassroots ministry by building strong relationships with local communities and organisations to foster meaningful and lasting change.

The SATAs seeks to raise the profile of the phenomenal contribution of Catholic Sisters against human trafficking, to share knowledge and foster further collaborative anti-trafficking efforts between congregations and across the anti-trafficking sector as a whole, and to broaden and deepen the protection of communities vulnerable to trafficking worldwide. In the 20th century, many Catholic religious orders established programmes to combat human trafficking. Catholic Sisters are the largest force against human trafficking in the world. 

Arise is proud to work alongside sisters in a number of our target regions.

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