I was very excited to see your entry and to read about all the hard work your organization is already doing in India. It is refreshing to see a proactive approach to addressing human trafficking; one that aims to change the environmental factors that increase girls’ vulnerability to trafficking. Poverty is an underlying factor to this vulnerability and I do feel that any program that seeks to make real change in the fight against trafficking needs to include economic empowerment for survivors (and for prevention efforts) as a critical component of its conceptual framework.
I also appreciate your acknowledgement that the sustainability and viability of livelihood programs for girls are important and further that you admit that these are barriers your program currently faces. Can you elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of your current activities (weaving) and possibilities for alternative livelihood opportunities and trainings?
Laura Cardinal
Public Health and Human Trafficking Specialist
Dear Laura Cardinal,
Greetings!
Thank you for your comments on our entry. I will certainly elaborate your suggestion and concern. Indeed North East region have tremendous resources but lack of direction and capital investers coming to the region. Since region being socially excluded for centuries and known for the unending ethnic conflict, due to which many financial institutions avoid coming to the region. These are some of the disadvantage we faced in our activities. However the advantages are region is being rich in natural resources and weaving is a inborn skill where many women are already having home based looms. Hence with further inputs and skill development and providing marketing avenues this activity is not only helping in gerating income but also empowering women to raise voices for rights.
Its wonderful to read about the work you are doing in the North-East region of the country. I beleive there's a strong demand for more work to focus on issues impacting this region, particularly, because government's intervention has been restricted for various reasons, including conflict. What you are doing is truly commendable in a traditionally isolated community.
I am also very excited with the way your delivery model is designed. I think the 'go-to-market' approach for products made by the community is where sustainable development comes in. Marketing of these products outside the region also has the potential to end the community's isolation with the rest of the country / neighbouring countries by establishing long-term trade links and hence make your efforts sustainable. However, you have mentioned certain challenges in maintaining quality of products & marketing of the same. Could you please elaborate?
Dear Abhijeet,
Thank you for the concern shared on our entry. The quality product challanges I mentioned in the entry such as packeging, lebeling etc. We have not able train to do the same so far. We have also been trying to tie up with IT sector for e-marketing of the end products to reach out to the larger buyers outside of the region and country. The above mentioned need training and partnership building in order to sustain. We hope to make these challages soon.
Thanks
Digambar Narzary
I would love to learn more about your self help groups and if we can be of any assistance growing them and marketing their products. I can be reached at john @ madebysurvivors.com
Dear John Berger,
Thank you so much for the mail and eagerness to support us in marketing of the handloom products. Our groups are skill weavers and they weave cotton fabric with beautiful design having socio-cultural meaning in each design. I will send you the images of some of our women handloom products soon. We certainly need your support to each out larger buyers to make out programme growing so that more and more women would enhance their economic empoerment.
Thank you so much for solidarity. Will contact you soon.
Regards
Digambar
You mention that you have rescued 500 from being trafficked and that you have trained 12 returnee ethnic girls in sustainable livelihood. Is there any way to increase the number of girls trained? It seems as though 12 is a very small percentage of the total number of girls you are rescuing.
Also, you mention that you made a historical mark in creating trans-border trafficking SOP with Bodoland and Bhutan. This sounds very interesting but I don't quite understand. What exactly is this SOP that you created? What is it and what does it do?
Dear Dana Frasz,
Thank you for the mail and raising question. Just to clarify your concern, we have 65 women who are involved in home based weaving and today they earn their livelihood. The 12 returnee girls are trained in stitching the handloom fabric woven by the 65 home based weavers. The 12 returnee girls are only in one batch for three to six months training as per the need. It is also fact that due to the lack of resources we have not been able to expand out livelihood activities to other districts despite repatriating the rescued girls. We hope to increase more numbers for the livelihood near future amongst the rescued and potential vulnerable women in the areas.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a standard tool (Guideline) to follow both the trans-border districts with regard to rescue and repatriation of the trafficked survivors in eighther of the country. By following the SOP it makesure that the human rights are not violated while rescuing and repatriating the survivors to the country of origin. Through this SOP we protect human rights violation in the process of rescuing and and repatriating the survivors. If you wish I can share the SOP copy with you for more clarity and reference. Hope I have clarified your concerns.
Thank you so much.
Regards
Digambar
Through your organisation, you are doing yeomen service to the poor victims of trafficking and thus to the humanity. I am indeed impressed by the novelty of your model and the efforts you are taking through e-marketing of products made by the rescued & rehabilitated victims.
Best wishes for the continued success of your organisation.
Anoop Kumar Srivastava
Principal Secretary to the
Government of Meghalaya
Comments
Dear Digambar;
I was very excited to see your entry and to read about all the hard work your organization is already doing in India. It is refreshing to see a proactive approach to addressing human trafficking; one that aims to change the environmental factors that increase girls’ vulnerability to trafficking. Poverty is an underlying factor to this vulnerability and I do feel that any program that seeks to make real change in the fight against trafficking needs to include economic empowerment for survivors (and for prevention efforts) as a critical component of its conceptual framework.
I also appreciate your acknowledgement that the sustainability and viability of livelihood programs for girls are important and further that you admit that these are barriers your program currently faces. Can you elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of your current activities (weaving) and possibilities for alternative livelihood opportunities and trainings?
Laura Cardinal
Public Health and Human Trafficking Specialist
Dear Laura Cardinal,
Greetings!
Thank you for your comments on our entry. I will certainly elaborate your suggestion and concern. Indeed North East region have tremendous resources but lack of direction and capital investers coming to the region. Since region being socially excluded for centuries and known for the unending ethnic conflict, due to which many financial institutions avoid coming to the region. These are some of the disadvantage we faced in our activities. However the advantages are region is being rich in natural resources and weaving is a inborn skill where many women are already having home based looms. Hence with further inputs and skill development and providing marketing avenues this activity is not only helping in gerating income but also empowering women to raise voices for rights.
Thanks you once again.
Digambar Narzary
Dear Digamber:
Its wonderful to read about the work you are doing in the North-East region of the country. I beleive there's a strong demand for more work to focus on issues impacting this region, particularly, because government's intervention has been restricted for various reasons, including conflict. What you are doing is truly commendable in a traditionally isolated community.
I am also very excited with the way your delivery model is designed. I think the 'go-to-market' approach for products made by the community is where sustainable development comes in. Marketing of these products outside the region also has the potential to end the community's isolation with the rest of the country / neighbouring countries by establishing long-term trade links and hence make your efforts sustainable. However, you have mentioned certain challenges in maintaining quality of products & marketing of the same. Could you please elaborate?
Best regards,
Abhijeet Deshpande, PMP
Identity Management Projects
Dear Abhijeet,
Thank you for the concern shared on our entry. The quality product challanges I mentioned in the entry such as packeging, lebeling etc. We have not able train to do the same so far. We have also been trying to tie up with IT sector for e-marketing of the end products to reach out to the larger buyers outside of the region and country. The above mentioned need training and partnership building in order to sustain. We hope to make these challages soon.
Thanks
Digambar Narzary
I would love to learn more about your self help groups and if we can be of any assistance growing them and marketing their products. I can be reached at john @ madebysurvivors.com
----------
John Berger
The Emancipation Network
http://www.madebysurvivors.com/
Dear John Berger,
Thank you so much for the mail and eagerness to support us in marketing of the handloom products. Our groups are skill weavers and they weave cotton fabric with beautiful design having socio-cultural meaning in each design. I will send you the images of some of our women handloom products soon. We certainly need your support to each out larger buyers to make out programme growing so that more and more women would enhance their economic empoerment.
Thank you so much for solidarity. Will contact you soon.
Regards
Digambar
Hello Digambar,
You mention that you have rescued 500 from being trafficked and that you have trained 12 returnee ethnic girls in sustainable livelihood. Is there any way to increase the number of girls trained? It seems as though 12 is a very small percentage of the total number of girls you are rescuing.
Also, you mention that you made a historical mark in creating trans-border trafficking SOP with Bodoland and Bhutan. This sounds very interesting but I don't quite understand. What exactly is this SOP that you created? What is it and what does it do?
Thank you.
Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers
Dear Dana Frasz,
Thank you for the mail and raising question. Just to clarify your concern, we have 65 women who are involved in home based weaving and today they earn their livelihood. The 12 returnee girls are trained in stitching the handloom fabric woven by the 65 home based weavers. The 12 returnee girls are only in one batch for three to six months training as per the need. It is also fact that due to the lack of resources we have not been able to expand out livelihood activities to other districts despite repatriating the rescued girls. We hope to increase more numbers for the livelihood near future amongst the rescued and potential vulnerable women in the areas.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a standard tool (Guideline) to follow both the trans-border districts with regard to rescue and repatriation of the trafficked survivors in eighther of the country. By following the SOP it makesure that the human rights are not violated while rescuing and repatriating the survivors to the country of origin. Through this SOP we protect human rights violation in the process of rescuing and and repatriating the survivors. If you wish I can share the SOP copy with you for more clarity and reference. Hope I have clarified your concerns.
Thank you so much.
Regards
Digambar
Dear Digambar,
Through your organisation, you are doing yeomen service to the poor victims of trafficking and thus to the humanity. I am indeed impressed by the novelty of your model and the efforts you are taking through e-marketing of products made by the rescued & rehabilitated victims.
Best wishes for the continued success of your organisation.
Anoop Kumar Srivastava
Principal Secretary to the
Government of Meghalaya
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