The methods of formal and informal education are used in the theoretical and practical sessions of the workshop to develop the staff skills of handing over the information to their colleagues and other peers in their region, and becoming the multiplicators.
On the whole, there will be 5 regional workshops for municipality staff within the Project “Multidisciplinary Initiatives for Prevention of Human Trafficking” including diversified professionals of social work to develop inter-institutional and inter-professional cooperation aiming to address the cases of human trafficking in each region.
The professionals of the society are pointing out that methodological guide for social workers on human trafficking will be approbated within the regional workshops since they are the ones who most frequently are facing vulnerable groups of clients the human trafficking cases are identified from, and there is also an immediate possibility to organize any help if a person can be identified as a potential victim of human trafficking.
25 professionals are expected to be educated in each region by organizing the workshop in 2 units (theoretical and practical training) that makes 125 professionals in total.
The next workshop is planned at Talsi Municipality on November 20 – 21.
The aim of the project “Multidisciplinary initiatives for prevention of human trafficking” started in September is to use innovative services to expand the support system for the victims of human trafficking, raise awareness of social workers and employees of the organizations of the national NGO coalition, as well as to create interactive preventive measures for the education of children and young people. The target group of the project are the victims of human trafficking, young people – as one of the major risk groups, people with disabilities, relatives, friends and acquaintances of the victims and potential victims, NGOs representing the rights and interests of the aforementioned groups, the members, staff and volunteers.
Within the Project, a methodological guide for social workers is developed and its approbation is going on within the municipalities and the trainings of the organizations of the NGO coalition platform; a support group has been created from persons who have suffered from human trafficking; innovative preventive measures for solving social issues are offered. The Project is promoting volunteer work by developing a network of peer educators. The Project is implemented in cooperation with societies “Living for Tomorrow” (Estonia), “On Vidzeme Free of Human Trafficking” (Latvia), and “La Strada Foundation against Human Trafficking and Slavery” (Poland).
NGO “Shelter “Safe House”” is the only organization that has provided state-funded rehabilitation services for victims of human trafficking and conducts regular prevention since 2007. In 2014, it provided social rehabilitation services to 30 people (3 men and 27 women), 12 of them were included in the national programme in 2013, and 18 – in 2014. 20 people have been victims of marriage of convenience, nine – victims of forced labour, one person – a victim of sexual exploitation.
*“SOS Children’s Villages Latvia”, “Social Service Agency” branch, family crisis center “Mīlgrāvis”, “Samaritan Association of Latvia”, Crisis center for women and children “Māras centrs”,“Talsi District Crisis Centre”, “Baltic Regional Fund”, “For Vidzeme free of human trafficking”, "Īrijas latviešu nacionālā padome", “Shelter “Safe House””.
Project “Multidisciplinary initiatives for prevention of human trafficking” is financed by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.
You can find more information on the EEA Grants programme “NVO fonds” here on the Latvian website of the EEA Grants: http://www.eeagrants.lv official website of the EEA Grants: http://www.eeagrants.org Society “Shelter “Safe House”” is responsible for the content of this publication.
Information was prepared by:
Rasa Salina (Rasa Saliņa)
Consultant and PR practitioner
Phone: (+371) 22026355, e-mail: rasa.salina@gmail.com
