MECPATHS, Mercy Efforts for Child Protection Against Trafficking with The Hospitality Sector, is celebrating five years of life this year. Since its foundation MECPATHS has been working with the hospitality sector to raise awareness of child trafficking. With each New Year comes renewed energies and new hope for the future. As the team celebrated its five years, we were delighted to receive notification that MECPATHS, in partnership with PREM Hotel Group, received an Irish HR Champion Award for the design and development of a staff training programme on child trafficking and exploitation. The award recognises the important role the project has to play in Irish Society and within the hospitality sector. “This is one training programme that we hope our team members never have to put to use during the course of their work,” says Sarah Marr Human Resources Manager UK and Ireland at Prem Group.
Between 2009 and 2016, 512 victims of trafficking were identified in Ireland. Of these, 334 victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation – 71% were female and 28% were children. The majority of the children were Irish.
Sarah Marr, HR Manager PREM Group Ireland & UK with Ann Mara, Education Co-Ordinator, MECPATHS
Ann Mara, Education Coordinator with MECPATHS said they were delighted that Prem Group’s innovation and commitment had been recognised through this award. “Their development of a mandatory staff training programme to help counter sex trafficking is truly commendable and an exemplary headline for other accommodation providers within Ireland and beyond. The direct impact on their employees is immediate and valuable; their impact on the world around us, invaluable. We are deeply grateful to all at Prem for their support, professionalism and personal, deep-rooted compassion for victims of sex trafficking,” she said.
With ongoing community-based connections, we recognise the vast significance of each person and the role each person plays in making a difference in the world. As MECPATHS celebrates milestones, we continue to be aware of the volunteers within the congregation who work daily to spread the word and work of MECPATHS. Each Sister’s efforts to network, connect, converse and communicate with hotels in each province is tremendous, it brings MECPATHS to life and it demonstrates the importance of human connection, in a world where the digital connection becomes more and more pronounced each day.
As MECPATHS moves forward the team has grown. At present there are three part-time staff members focused at the core of the project, Aisling Murray, Ann Mara and JP O’Sullivan, guided by Founding Member Sr. Mary Ryan. The team’s outreach is strengthened by networks, by membership and by conversation. As the outreach grows, the call for volunteers continues and the team regularly appeal for new volunteers to join their efforts. If you would like to join the volunteer team at MECPATHS, they would love to hear from you info@mecpaths.ie. For further information, please see our website www.mecpaths.ie
JP O’Sullivan
Communications Manager
