Raimi Vincent Paraiso

Raimi Vincent Paraiso works in the Congo to assist victims of trafficking, especially children.

He is the coordinator for an NGO by the name of ALTO. His dedication to improving the lives of victims, both of sex trafficking and forced labor, and his years of experience in providing services to those victims have led him to become an invaluable resource for his own government, as well as some other governments in the area. Notably, he has worked with the Benin community in Pointe-Noire, where his NGO is based. That has led to some push back from that community, including threats against his life and the life of his family. He has worked directly with his own government and the government of Benin to create an anti-trafficking cooperation plan. In 2011, in partnership with his own government and alongside his colleagues, Mr. Paraiso was able to identify 57 victims of trafficking. He also coordinated the protection of those victims directly with Ministry of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action and police authorities, and traveled alongside several child victims when they were repatriated to Benin. He continues to be an advocate for victims, and a resource for governmental authorities, other NGO workers, and international organizations.

In the 2014 TIP Report, the Republic of the Congo was listed as a Tier 2 country. It is a source and destination country for both forced labor and sex trafficking. The government attempted to train its police more effectively, and address corruption, however they did not increase prosecutions. Victim care remained strong, especially in Pointe-Noire.