To address human trafficking in British Columbia, MOSAIC is the recent recipient of $340,000 in funding from the Department of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE).
The funding will go towards a 24-month project titled SAFE (Safeguarding and Facilitating Empowerment), which will develop, implement, and test prevention and intervention best practices with a specific focus on the unique experiences of immigrants, refugees and other newcomers.
“Many factors make immigrants and newcomers particularly vulnerable to trafficking. It’s important that settlement agencies have the tools and capacity to help their clients recognize risky situations and provide trauma-informed support to victims and survivors of trafficking,” said Angela Wu, SAFE Project Coordinator at MOSAIC.
SAFE will engage settlement agency stakeholders to identify existing gaps in their capability to address human trafficking. Using a trauma-informed approach, SAFE will then design and deliver educational sessions with a focus on risk, rights, and resources to equip and empower at-risk populations, as well as develop a case management system for survivors of trafficking to access practical supports. The project will also develop and provide educational opportunities to settlement service providers to enhance their capacity to provide trauma-informed services to victims and survivors of trafficking.
“We are looking forward to engaging with settlement agencies across BC to gain a better understanding of what types of resources and tools are needed to tackle this important issue,” said Wu.
For more resources and support on this topic, please visit the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline. For more information about the SAFE project, click here.
July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a day to raise awareness of the situation of victims and survivors of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights. To find out more, click here.
