Bangladesh is a country mainly of origin and transit of the victims of trafficking. Attracted by bogus job offers, and forced to migrate for lack of alternatives, the victims of Bengali trafficking end up practically all over the world: Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, United States.

Even within the country, children, women and men are victims of modern forms of slavery, including forced and compulsory labor in agriculture, the fishing industry and construction, domestic servitude, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Poverty remains the main driver in the decision to migrate and to accept job offers at risk. The project area is made further vulnerable by the difficult climatic conditions, being periodically hit by cyclones and floods that destroy the economy and the physical environment.

The one-year project “Free from trafficking – Health, training and information for Dalit and marginalized communities” intended to carry out preventive actions against the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings, promoting professional training, improving health conditions, disseminating knowledge and sanitation practices and creating the conditions for safe migration.

The following activities were carried out:

1. Professional training in computer science, aimed at students belonging to marginalized communities. Computer skills offer undoubted job opportunities in Bangladesh as well. An intensive 6-month course was therefore administered to 48 trainees, divided into various sessions in order to make teaching more effective and make better use of the equipment provided.
2. Raising awareness on safe migration and personal health. 120 meetings allowed 3,440 people (535 men and 2,905 women) to be informed about the new practices of trafficking in human beings, as well as about the rules of personal hygiene, water management, food and nutrition and various social issues.
3. Medical fields. Most of the people living in the villages cannot afford medical bills. Furthermore, the area is isolated and without medical services. For this reason, free treatments and medicines were provided to 3,621 people in 40 centers.
4. Awareness raising in schools on safe migration. To encourage reflection on migration among students and attract the attention of the authorities on the subject, two debates were organized with 350 students, who tested their knowledge and questioned their own possibilities to combat the phenomenon of human trafficking. humans. Similarly, a drawing competition on the risks of trafficking was organized among elementary school students.
5. Street theater performances. There were 5 theatrical performances on the theme of migration, violence against women and early marriage. About 1,200 people attended.
6. Safe migration seminars. Five seminars were organized for local authorities, religious leaders, teachers, representatives of civil society.

In conclusion, the project, which ended with a special press conference, raised awareness among community members on safe migration, human trafficking and health problems, establishing useful links with local authorities and the media.