Combating Human Trafficking in Rural Communities
Project : Combating Human Trafficking in Rural Communities
Donor : Geneva Global
Location : Muzaffarpur, Vaishali
Project Brief :
Due to lack of employment opportunities in rural areas, people of marginalized sectors are forced to migrate to distant industrial cities, such as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Kolkata, in search of employment. In many of these instances, these people fall prey to the agents of human trafficking, as they are promised a better life. Through such agents, the people from rural communities face physical, mental, and sexual harassment. Children are sold off to work similar work to that of a slave- working as domestic help, in brick kilns, and in hazardous industries. Through such work, their mental health and physical wellbeing are at stake. Additionally, they are likely to be come victims of sexual harassment. The subject of human trafficking requires immediate attention, as it is not being addressed by the government or by other agencies. For this reason, the community is unaware of the seriousness of this issue.
IDF, in an effort to prevent trafficking in Jandaha block of Vaishali district and Meenapur block of Muzaffarpur district, has initiated a project with the help of Geneva Global. This project focuses on creating awareness within the communities regarding the issue of human trafficking, including its causes and consequences. It also works with communities on how to act as liaisons with various authorities, either government or PRI/media personnel, to enforce legal provisions against trafficking. Furthermore, the project works on capacity building at the community level so that community level institutions/networks and PRI members act as the core members of intervention during the inception phase of the project.