In May members of the South Asia Anti-Trafficking Network attended the Asha Forum’s national consultation in Pune, India. The targeted goal of the meeting, titled “Developing Human Resources in Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation/Abuse,” was to address the fact that a “pressing need at this stage is unavailability/ lack of trained & untrained staff in the area of Child Sexual Exploitation” which hinder the efficacy of work when it couples with the fact that “the burden /demands on the existing staff is increasingly leading to career burnout and staff attrition.”
The consultation identified several broad strategies for dealing with this problem, including:
·Educating the general public towards the need to work in this field by using media specifically and effectively.
·Raising professionals like lawyers to effectively deal with cases, doctors/psychiatrists, teachers, child protection officers & trained counselors to ensure total restoration and healing, lobbyists,
investigators & informers for the rescue work, and the likes
(NAFC Report)
The consultation also identified strategies that are effectively being used to the end of developing human resources in anti-trafficking work. Perhaps some of the most interesting and strategic moving forward include:
– Mobilizing local unions like Auto drivers and Vendors into information networks
– Organizing summer camps and events to increase volunteer base
– In-house program to train community youth and equip them as resource pool for other organizations.
– Absorbing trained beneficiaries as staff
– Organizing events to facilitate smooth transition of volunteers into staff
– Developing leads and contacts for volunteers from schools
(NAFC Report)
