This week I have, after a lot of trouble, finally had my first two interviews with girls who have been exploited to trafficking. It was not easy to find them. Staff at COSUDOW had helped me to find the girls and made an appointment on Monday. But unfortunately no one showed up.

On Tuesday I was supposed to meet five of them at COSUDOW’s office, but only one showed up. The next day I found another girl to interview after a lot of driving back and forth through the city of Benin.

It is not easy to plan your week in this country, because the people here and I look differently upon time. People show up late or don’t show up at all, but it’s just for me to accept and not be upset about.

Anyhow, I finally got two good interviews that I can use for my thesis. One of the girls that I interviewed had been trafficked for prostitution to Spain by her boyfriend, who later also had the role as her pimp and took the money she earned by selling her body. She told me a terrible story about her life, but also some glints of hope for the future.

The other girl thought she was going to Italy for domestic work, but she and a large group of other young Nigerian boys and girls ended up travelling by road through West Africa and up to Morocco where they were supposed to cross the border to Europe. In Italy they were supposed to be sold for prostitution. But luckily, the Moroccan police found them and could send the ones who had survived the long trip, back to Nigeria.

I have also tried to extend my Nigerian visa this week, and I finally succeeded after a lot of trouble and visits at the immigration office. This coming week I hope that I can do two or three more interviews for my thesis before I go to Lagos and WOCON.