As a result of our long experience with mothers from vulnerable groups, we have been aware of the vulnerability to manipulation of young people from some marginal environments and we have started the project “Prevention of Human Trafficking”, in ACSIS way of work, in the year 2010. We support with scientific arguments that prevention is much more efficient, from all points of view, in relation to the consequences of the person’s trafficking (psychological, economical).
What do we want to accomplish?
We aim to increase the defensive power of students and young people from vulnerable groups regarding the phenomenon of human beings trafficking. The youngsters’ power of defense in front of the attack and manipulation, performed by the trafficker, comes both from information relating to rights and duties, contracts and travel, manipulation and abduction, as well as from the safety and confidence inspired by reference persons who demonstrate safe behaviors which are worth following.
What is the problem? What are the identified needs?
The problem is the trafficking in human beings, and the needs of young people relate both to information, as well as awareness of values and attitudes which could facilitate trafficking.
The target group of the project consists of young people at risk for trafficking (students of vocational schools, adolescents from poor and/or dysfunctional families, young single mothers), as well as professionals who come into contact with them and/or their families.
How do we know that these young people are at risk?
The answer is simple: from real life. Experience shows that traffickers identify very correctly their victims, belonging to these marginal environments, also. The trafficker may be a member of that family, the neighbor or a deceptive friend. He can be recognized and counterattacked the moment he begins to conduct his net of promises, manipulation and lies.
Specifically, we have proposed as objectives, to increase the defensive capability and to decrease the vulnerability of young people through group and one-to-one counseling; by training and motivating teachers to advise young people at risk on the ways of self defense in front of human trafficking; by increasing community awareness regarding the severity and consequences of human trafficking; and by implementation of a campaign to prevent the phenomenon.
How do we achieve all these objectives?
- We are organizing educational events for young people, aimed at informing and advising on the phenomenon of trafficking of human beings, the risks and consequences of this phenomenon, human rights, as well as legal employment opportunities in country and abroad;
- We organize educational events for professionals who come in contact with young people at risk and/or with their families;
- We organize creation contests (posters, essays) in vocational schools having human trafficking as its central topic, and we reward and promote the most beautiful works;
- We organize workshops on trafficking of human beings and on methods of prevention, involving teachers in selected vocational schools (leading teachers, school psychologists), in order to ensure they are informed and trained regarding the active prevention and the phenomenon of trafficking of human beings;
- We campaign for the prevention of trafficking of persons in order to increase awareness of the phenomenon and to diminish the prejudice related to the victim’s status.
Through all these activities we encourage the community surrounding schools and vulnerable persons to get involved in the dismantling of the traffickers’ efforts.
It is much easier to prevent than to heal the trauma!
This project is made possible by financial, methodology and expertise support from Samilia Foundation -Belgium.
Join us in this project!
