The Free the Slaves Community Liberation Toolkit (CLT) continues to provide learning opportunities for anti-slavery grassroots organizations worldwide. Following the loosening of the COVID-19 restrictions around the globe, FTS conducted the first in-person training to 14 Vietnamese organizations in Ba Vi province, Vietnam, last July 12 – 14, 2022.
Training local groups in Vietnam plays an essential role in the fight against human trafficking. By providing frontline workers with the knowledge and skills to identify and support victims of trafficking, these organizations can help to protect some of the most vulnerable members of society. In addition, training organizations can raise awareness of human trafficking among the general public, helping to build a groundswell of support for anti-trafficking initiatives. When training organizations can achieve these outcomes, they make a valuable contribution to the fight against human trafficking.
The in-person training for 14 organizations with 16 participants was made possible through the partnership of FTS and Hagar International. Hagar International is an NGO dedicated to caring for women affected by the growing magnitude of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Today, Hagar International is leading the efforts in Northern Vietnam to provide community-based interventions, with local communities being their partners. The partnership with Hagar has paved the way for FTS to provide localized inputs for our Community Liberation Initiative, specifically, Survivor Liberation, Care, and Reintegration. The module has trained participants on understanding indicators of slavery and actions to take when slavery is suspected under different circumstances in the communities they serve across Vietnam. This module has allowed participants to develop context-appropriate standards and norms of care for survivors. It further educated participants on principles of trauma-informed care and drafted tools for monitoring survivor progress.
Training organizations working in human trafficking in Vietnam is important because it allows them to learn about the best practices to prevent human trafficking. Furthermore, this type of training also allows participating organizations to learn about the different kinds of support that victims of human trafficking need. Training leaders can help Vietnamese organizations work with law enforcement for the entire community to become more familiar with the crimes associated with human trafficking. The Community Liberation Initiative training is crucial because it helps build partnerships between local organizations, leading to more effective anti-trafficking operations in the communities they serve.
Nguyen Thi Le Na of World Vision Vietnam shared, “We are very thankful for this training provided by Free the Slaves because this allowed us to become more confident in our work. We have understood how to work with victims and survivors sensitively. I appreciate the various methods we can employ in our line of work in our communities where human trafficking is present.”
The results of Free the Slaves training civil society organizations in Vietnam to understand survivor liberation, care better, and reintegration has been remarkable. Before this training, the participants expressed the need to be updated with the necessary knowledge and skills to support survivors of human trafficking properly. And through this training, organizations have developed a greater understanding of the unique needs of survivors and how to best meet those needs. The training has also helped build stronger relationships between service providers and other local organizations, which is essential for providing quality care and referral to support victims and survivors.
Training human trafficking organizations in Vietnam is important to address this issue. However, more work needs to be done to provide resources and support for these groups. Reach out to Free the Slaves if you think we can help capacitate more local organizations in your region. Together, we can end human trafficking in Vietnam and around the world.
