With COVID-19 restrictions eased in Thailand, we’ve been able to resume our training and outreach programs in our community. We know that economic pressures caused by COVID-19 put those who are vulnerable at even more risk, so we are working to ensure these communities have the support they need. Here’s an update on what’s happening.

The Latest Update

With your help, we reached an incredible 1,047 at-risk people this quarter with information sessions on their various rights. Topics ranged from the right to sexual integrity to labor rights for migrant workers. We trained a group of women’s village-level leaders on women’s rights, family law, and labor law.

Some quick numbers!
1,047 people trained on human rights
23 cases of human rights abuses lodged with the government
85 people impacted by human rights abuse cases
74 GED equivalent students were trained on risk of online exploitation.

Our students are making remarkable achievements too. A group of TFS students won an award in an ECPAT art competition on the topic of “voice of children against sexual exploitation of children.” One of the student artists explained that she used the knowledge she’s gained through trainings and workshops on human rights and anti-trafficking with The Freedom Story and combined it with the fine art skills from her vocational degree in art to do her best in the competition. She is incredibly proud of this award, and we are proud of our students too!

Because of you, we are seeing otherwise marginalized groups rise up and advocate for their rights and the rights of others. This includes migrant workers who are very vulnerable to exploitation, students in our scholarship program, and women leaders. All of these groups would struggle to access information about their rights on their own.

Together we are seeing how knowledge and skills leads to empowerment, and empowered people are advocating for and claiming their rights. They are lodging formal legal complaints about abuses, they are using creative means to raise awareness, and are teaching others with their new knowledge. We see how when people reach stability, they do what they can to pay it forward to others. Investing in one spreads benefits to many.

Thank you so much for your ongoing commitment to the prevention of child trafficking. We are so thankful to be doing this work together.