Moroni, Comoros - Poverty and the absence of opportunities for productive employment are the known primary causes for human trafficking.  Today, the Comoros is considered to be source country of men, women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.  Therefore, to counteract human trafficking in the Comoros, the USAID mission to Madagascar and the Comoros has awarded a grant to PlaNet Finance in the amount of $317,000 to implement a microfinance program which will create employment and income generation opportunities.  

The program will increase the business and leadership skills of vulnerable groups by enhancing their capacity to manage businesses, increasing their access to credit, and promoting the entrepreneurial spirit. The program will also strengthen the technical and vocational skills of the poor by providing technical education in specific trades, occupations or vocations (food preparation, beauty industry, and local goods production) to develop income-generating activities.

PlaNet Finance, a French international non-governmental organization, has been operating in the Comoros since 2010.

USAID has been working in the Comoros since 2006 and currently finances an education program in addition to the microfinance program. These programs are managed through USAID’s office in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The U.S. Government’s aid to Comoros is consistent with the commitment of the American people to provide development and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations.