Restoration and education for 36 trafficked girls

An annual interaction activity was recently held between survivors that previously stayed at the shelter and their parents.The aim was to find out how reintegrated survivors and their parents are doing in the community and the further support needed as well as to understand the behaviour and attitude of people in the community towards trafficking survivors.

During the activity all 24 participants simultaneously discussed their situations in their homes and communities. The social stigma that the survivors and parents face in the community by other community members itself was identified as a key issue. However, the parents said that they would stand up for their daughters against any discrimination. They also expressed that they want to participate in further anti-trafficking advocacy and activities. The parents of survivors also shared that such an activity is very necessary to build up their family’s confidence and capacity to protect and support their daughters.

The participants also talked about what they believe to be the causes of trafficking. They identified several factors: illiteracy, lack of information regarding human trafficking, poverty, lack of opportunities in the community, dysfunctional family and lack of awareness on strangers’ false promises. Similarly, if their children fall unknowingly into the trap of traffickers, the parents agreed that they should support their daughters to file a case against the traffickers.

The survivors also reflected on their reintegration process in their own communities. They believe that there still some social stigma attached to being a trafficking survivor. They also still feel a threat from their traffickers and prefer to stay in urban areas because the population is larger and people there don’t know them and their background. However, the survivors also mentioned that they would love to return to their villages if they didn’t have to face stigma from their communities and if they could find a job according to their skills and interests.

It is clear that more awareness raising and sensitisation is needed in communities and villages to ensure the acceptance of survivors back into the community. A wider problem faced by many of the survivors and their families is the lack of employment opportunities in their villages. These insights and feedback from the interaction activity are integral for the project and to find better ways to support survivors return to normal life.