UGA Professor Helps Fight Human Trafficking

University of Georgia professor David Okech in Sanford Hall on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (Photo/Zachary Tate, ztate@randb.com)

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David Okech, a professor in the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work, established the Center on Human Trafficking Research & Outreach in 2021. He said in an email to The Red and Black that he developed his interest in the subject during a trip with his students to Ghana. During this time he worked alongside his students at a residential care facility for girls and women at-risk of trafficking

​Okech told The Red and Black that CenHTRO’s goal is to address gaps in the measurement of human trafficking’s worldwide prevalence and implement evidence-informed interventions. “CenHTRO is a collaborative, cross-disciplinary, and international research hub in the global effort to combat human trafficking,” Okech said.

André Gallant, the director of communications for CenHTRO, said in an email to The Red & Black that they do not save people. Instead, they focus on finding the regions and industries human trafficking is taking place within, how often and why it is happening and how to effectively stop it. 

Okech and his organization are taking an incredibly holistic approach, using law, sociology, public health, political science, and statistics to help combat human trafficking. The amazing work done Okech is an inspirational example of how dawgs can not only give back to their community but to the world.

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