On 20 October 2026, the Tulia team joined survivors, practitioners and partners at St Mary's University, Twickenham, to celebrate 25 years of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children and its network, BASNET, the UK BME Anti-Slavery Network. On behalf of everyone at Tulia Group CIC: congratulations.
Since Debbie Ariyo OBE founded AFRUCA in 2001, it has supported tens of thousands of children, young people and families in Black and ethnic minority communities affected by abuse, trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation. The celebration also marked the launch of Through the Eyes of Survivors, a new book sharing the stories of 25 people AFRUCA has supported.
Survivors at the centre
The heart of the day was hearing from survivors themselves. One described how being asked "what do you want?", rather than being told what the system had decided, gave them hope for the first time. Others shared how AFRUCA's internships and training opened doors to university and professional careers.
Speakers were also honest about what still needs to change: right-to-work restrictions that leave recognised victims "safe or stagnant", the struggle to obtain legitimate ID, immigration assessments that re-traumatise, and young people leaving care without the support they need. These are challenges we see every day in our own work at Tulia.
The next chapter
AFRUCA set out its priorities for the years ahead: deeper culturally responsive support, tackling new forms of exploitation, including of people who come to the UK legally for work or study, putting survivors in leadership roles, and building stronger partnerships with Black and ethnic minority-led organisations. Given our work with migrant care workers, these priorities resonate deeply with us.
Thank you, Debbie
Tributes were paid to Debbie's courage and determination in sustaining AFRUCA through 25 years of political and funding challenges. As one speaker put it, survivors rarely remember the numbers; they remember the person who believed in them. To many, Debbie is simply "Auntie".
Here's to the next 25 years. We are proud to stand alongside AFRUCA and BASNET.
Find out more
Learn about AFRUCA and order Through the Eyes of Survivors at afruca.org
Worried someone is being exploited? Call the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline on 08000 121 700, or 999 in an emergency.
Need immigration advice? Get in touch with Tulia
