Community Based Movement to Prevent
Child Trafficking

Background

BISAP has been implementing project entitled “Community Based Movement to Prevent Child Trafficking ” since January 2016 with the generous assistance of Childreach Internation U.K. in two Districts of Bangladesh Jessore and Satkhira.

Aim:

Reduce the incidence of child and women trafficking through Jessore, and Shatkira borders in Bangladesh.

Objectives:

Activate 25 Union parishads in the border of Jessore and Shatkhira Districts to perform stronger role for prevent human trafficking through its Standing Committee, ward level watch committee, and village police.

Create community awareness regarding trafficking Issues among different stakeholders including children, mass people, marriage registrars, local media, and union parishad of Jessore and Shatkhira Districts.

Provide timely and efficient services to the children and women who need services for rescue, counseling, getting legal and social protection, family re integration and rehabilitation.

Outcomes

  1. Mechanism for local level watching and reporting system for every suspected cases in 25 project unions by the end of the project is developed

  2. The incidence of child and women trafficking through different routes of Jessore and Shatkira border is reduced by 20% from the present rate at the end of the project

  3. 50% of the Union parishads in the border areas of Shatkira and Jessore Districts take proactive role to prevent human trafficking

  4. Number of rescued children and women is increased in the boarder unions of Jessore and Shatkira by 10% from the previous year

  5. Local people of 25 border unions will have sufficient information regarding the techniques used by the traffickers, and their knowledge on how to prevent and rescue will be increased

  6. After completion of the project Union parishad and village police and watch, committees can continue their action against trafficking.

Outcomes

  1. Establish Anti Trafficking watch group in 25 border unions of Jessore and Shatkira district.

  2. Orient all watch committees through union parishad meeting and ward level meeting, periodic contact with the group to review the performance and give more information, guidance and share successes of different committees to stimulate all committees.

  3. Set up a half way home for short stay of the rescued women and children attach to the project office.

  4. Information posters produced and displayed in local markets, bus stand, union parisad in border area, which contents awareness messages and phone number of Help Line, police and BGB.

  5. Establish Mobile phone based Help line services for response, rescue, counselling, and rehabilitation of trafficked children and women.

  6. School based and community based awareness campaign and citizen mobilization against trafficking.

  7. Dialogue with Media, BGB, Police, Immigration police, and local administration.

  8. Rehabilitation services for all rescued victims of trafficking will be done through referral services.
The above outputs will be achieved through the following interactive activities:

1.Sensitization of union parishad and activation of Standing Committee on Law and order will be one of the main activities under this project. This is being done in support with the Local Administration.

2.Formation of union level watch Committees is another major activity to combat  NGOs, community leaders, journalists, Village Police, Anser VDP and local leaders are involved in this committee.

3.Awareness-raising meetinghas organized in all project unions involving the ward members, female UP members, UP chairperson, and other members of Union standing committee. These awareness-raising meeting aimed at bringing together the relevant persons working at different level.

4.School based awareness campaignhas organized in 60 schools with in the project area. Drama show focusing on the role of community watch group in anti trafficking movement. The drams show being stage cover the how children can apply their life skills to be saved from trafficking and what they will do to aware other children.

5. Dialogue with Journalists on “Combating Trafficking Children: Role of Media in Creating Awareness” have organized. Representatives from printed and electronic media participate in the dialogue .

6. Meeting with Police and BGB have organized Quarterly basis, for getting their support and quick response in any case related to adduction and trafficking and other rights violations, the proper investigation of cases and alternative dispute resolution. Senior officials of Police and BGB will be consulted and updated with the project activities. In the organized meeting mechanism for coordination have been developed and review the progress in each quarter.

7. Meetings with the members of the Judiciary serviceshave organized to get their support for legal and other services to the justice seekers.

8. Rally on anti-trafficking in old 20 unions by children

Rally is one of the important component of the project. Rally on anti-trafficking have organized by the Child Brigade as their activity with the support of BISAP. BISAP supplied poster, leaflet and other necessary materials for the rally. Play card, festoon, Poster and other necessary materials has been displayed in the rally.

9.Film Show at School & Community-new 5 unions

There is some documentary film produced by NGO and government on human trafficking, hazardous child labour, migration and working in abroad women and other community people from different village are present in the film show. After seeing these films, participants have aware about the consequences of the said issues and how they will manage and tackle the situation if anything happen to them.

10. Courtyard meeting at community level-new 5 Unions

Courtyard meeting have organized bi-monthly at operational area. Child trafficking and child related issues have discussed in these meeting to aware the community to prevent children trafficking. Community Facilitator and the Watch committee were present in the courtyard

11. A Help line Service in operation of help line service, which ensured quick services for protection of children and women from trafficking. Up on receiving call necessary advices have provided to the caller and inform the nearest BOP (Border Observation Post) of BGB, Police Station, Mobile Police Team, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) office, Immigration police depending on the nature of service required. This aim is to work together with the allied systems to establish mechanism for quick rescue. Even when the phone is not reachable, the caller will get auto information about another number or number of police station and BDR.

12. A Half way home BISAP have established a half way home and operated attached with project office with short stay facility for the survivors of trafficking before integration in the family. During their stay in the home, facilities for sleep, bath, food, health care, and psychosocial support will make available to develop their confidence.