Offering Freedom to Slavery Survivors

Summary

The final step to freedom for slavery survivors is employment and independence. Jobs at the Destiny Center in Calcutta offer survivors them the chance to rebuild their own bright futures

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

One million new children are trafficked into sexual exploitation each year, and they need holistic, continuing care to rebuild their lives after this trauma. One of the biggest problems confronting shelters that rehabilitate survivors is that survivors have no place to go after rescue and shelter care. They are often not welcome back in their own community, and typically they were trafficked at a young age (11-12yrs) and have never lived independently.

How will this project solve this problem?

In partnership with 4 Calcutta shelters, we opened the Destiny Center in 2008. Rescued survivors are trained and employed at Destiny making handbags, home goods and jewelry, allowing them to support themselves and live independently

Potential Long Term Impact

• Allowing survivors to rejoin society and support themselves • Slavery-proofing survivors and their children through economic empowerment and education • Opening room in shelters for newly rescued girls

Project Message

'I have no mother or father. This is my family. Someday I want to get married. But I still plan to work here at Destiny and help other girls like me to have a different kind of life. '
- Puja, Destiny survivor-artisan

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources