By an ECPAT UK Youth Group member

Last week, myself along with ECPAT UK staff and another member of our Youth Group attended the fifth ECPAT International Assembly (8-10 November) in Paris, in which representatives from more than 70 ECPAT groups came. I learnt about how ECPAT started and its history.

I am proud to be part of the ECPAT UK Youth Group from the beginning, and now to have been part of the Assembly this year. By attending I have understood and learnt how many young people have been sexually exploited, and how ECPAT does the best it can to save some of those children. And it is still doing what it can to stop it and raise awareness.

It was important for me to learn about some of the things that ECPAT is doing and some of the things that ECPAT has been committed to in many ways. It is not all about the end of child prostitution, but trying to stop exploitation and human trafficking.

I also learnt and understood that youth supporters can give support to young people or children through education, by helping them with their homework, helping them to use things like Facebook and helping them to build their confidence and teach them the language that is not their first language. Supporters can help young people to achieve their aims, while making sure that it’s fun to them.

It can be challenging when you are trying to serve a child or young person who has been a victim of trafficking. But the young person or child needs a role model to show patience and understanding.

I have learnt from some of the girls some of the things they do to in their groups: communication, debating about things, making leaflets, playing a game and being more open to one another.