Bihar, India
As a part of Justice Ventures International’s (JVI) ongoing strategy to empower communities and partner organizations to improve justice systems, JVI recently participated in a day-long program where vital information was presented to survivors and potential victims of human trafficking and child labor.
The gathering took place in Gaya, Bihar’s second largest city, where a significant portion of the population lives on less than two dollars a day. When the poor struggle to claim basic needs like food, safe drinking water, and housing, they are inevitably subjected to human rights abuse.
More than 5,000 people attended the training, including 500 survivors whom JVI and its partners previously rescued from slavery.
The Human Liberty Network, one of JVI’s partners in Northern India, coordinated this event along with the State and District Legal Services Authority, whose mission is to provide legal services to the poor.
Collaborative initiatives like these demonstrate the potential of strategic partnerships to impact vulnerable communities. The goal of the service camp was to educate the public and provide access to the variety of free services and benefits available for those vulnerable to trafficking.
Beyond simply sharing information with the attendants, NGOs and 13 government agencies set up booths where they could engage with attendants face-to-face.
Among those present were medical professionals conducting free health screenings and legal-aid providers helping to register participants for life-changing benefits such as food stipends, housing vouchers, vocation training, and more.
Following the program, JVI’s legal team will be working with hundreds of families to assist them in filing more than 1,000 anticipated applications for government entitlements.
JVI continues to seek partnerships with like-minded organizations in order to bring long-term justice to individuals facing oppression.
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