Child trafficking is a global human rights tragedy. Over one million children worldwide, including thousands in West Africa, are recruited from their homes each year by individuals seeking to exploit their labour. Extreme poverty, sometimes combined with the death of one or both parents, makes children highly vulnerable to false promises of education, vocational training or paid work. Human Rights Watch's April 2003 report "Borderline Slavery: Child Trafficking in Togo" highlights Togo as a case study of trafficking in the region. Contact your elected representatives, your countries' embassies, authorities in Togo and international lending agencies urging them to condemn, monitor, and prevent all forms of child trafficking.