A new novel on human trafficking, penned by former youth ambassador Tameka Hill, has been hailed by stakeholders as a welcome addition to the arsenal in the fight against this scourge.

Hill’s The Girl in the Shadows, has been described as a deeply moving and eye-opening work of fiction that shines a light on the heartbreaking reality of human trafficking.

It tells the story of young girls whose lives were stolen and controlled in a shadowy network of depravity and exploitation.

Hill, who was spokesperson on human trafficking as youth ambassador and did extensive research on the global issue for her post-graduate qualifications in communications and international development, uses her knowledge on the subject to tell the story in a compelling way, highlighting the lengths traffickers will go to for power and profit.

Director of the Child Labour Unit in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Tameisha Udosen, said the book provides one more useful device to Jamaica’s anti-trafficking tool kit.

“The fact of the matter is, we recognise that in order to effectively combat the issue of trafficking in persons and child trafficking, it requires a all-hands-on-deck approach. It requires a multidisciplinary approach,” Udosen said at the recent launch of the novel.

According to Udosen, she anticipates that the book will enable the public to have a bonafide understanding of the realities of human trafficking in Jamaica, as many people are unaware of the devastation of human dignity and well-being that trafficking in persons causes.

In the meantime, manager of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Secretariat in the Ministry of National Security Audrey Budhi said that given the gravity of the crime, it is important that Jamaicans are aware of the various elements of human trafficking, and are properly equipped to identify such activities.

“This is where this book plays a crucial role. We hope it will help to inform and educate,” said Budhi.

For his part, former head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit Deputy Superintendent of Police Carl Berry said he hopes that the author’s words will help to transform the current landscape to make the fight against human trafficking more action-oriented.

According to Berry, our collective force is needed to further spur the momentum towards the protection of would-be victims and to identify and rescue people who are in situations of exploitation.

In her address, Hill said the inspiration to write the book was based on the need to “truly illuminate the sheer severity of this atrocity”.

She noted that many artistic works on the issue glorify the crime they are intending to expose, often relegating the victims to the background.

“They gloss over the victims, who are rendered invisible and overlooked in their own stories, but my directional approach to writing aims to reclaim their lost visibility to give them a face,” said Hill.

She pointed out that the characters in the book are interconnected, their experiences reflecting a shared humanity that allows people to see “ourselves in their plight”, that they are no longer just victims, but girls, individuals, stripped of their freedom, their lives, their futures.

“When I wrote about these different girls, I tried to ensure that each person could connect with a particular girl,” said Hill.

She added that she wants the reader to reach beyond the boundaries of their own experience to understand the pain and suffering of the victims.

According to Hill, it is her hope that the book will not only create awareness but ignite interest and foster change.