"Animus Association" Foundation

 

 

 

 

(April 2016 – July 2017), funded by United Methodist Women (USA)

 

The project envisages direct support for children/youths survivors of child trafficking, child slavery and child sexual exploitation (fifty psychological consultations); empowerment and training of children/youths at risk to prevent child trafficking (twelve prevention and empowerment workshops on child trafficking); and a prevention campaign.

 

Activities:

·           Six prevention workshops

To train children/youths to be sensitive about the risk factors which make children vulnerable in terms of the child trafficking.

·           Six empowerment and advocacy workshops

To empower children and youths to be not only recipients of knowledge and skills in terms of child trafficking but also to advocate in front of other children/youths about the possible risk factors which can make them vulnerable.

·           Profile of children / youths involved in the workshops under the project

The children and youths (aged 14- 20) who were involved in the preventive workshops will be living in residential care facilities. Eighty percent of them will be of Roma origin. Children and youths in high school or who have just reached legal age. All of them will be vulnerable and at risk to become victims of child trafficking. Both males and females will be targeted in this project because there is a strong tendency which shows that males could be involved in all types of child trafficking. Ten to 15 children will be invited to participate in the workshops depending on their motivation.

·           Fifty psychological consultations for 14 children and youths survivors of child trafficking

Fifty psychological consultations will be provided to 12 children and youths survivors of child trafficking. Every child/ youth will be provided by 4 counseling sessions. They will be related to the first and most important phase of the psychological counseling –psychological assessment. After it the child/youth can be referred to our free of charge programs for long-term support if this is needed.

Framework:

Psychological consultation with children/youths continues 45-50 minutes.  It will be held in professionally equipped therapeutic premises. Four psychological consultations will be covered by the current project proposal. If there is a need for long-term support, clients will be referred to some of the Animus Association Foundation’s free-of-charge programs for children who have traumatic experience.

Profiles of the children

Children and youths who are survivors of child trafficking will be targeted. Both males and females will have the chance to be consulted. 80% of the children and youths will be of Roma origin. Most of them will be at age 14-18.

·          Prevention campaign – 400 leaflets

The prevention campaign will be oriented to children and youths in order to prevent their recruitment in child trafficking. 400 leaflets will be designed, printed and disseminated in the residential care facilities. Children and youths will be invited to disseminate them to their friends and other children/youths in the institution they are accommodated in. This will be a very useful tool which will help them to share experience, thoughts and what have learned from prevention and empowering workshops with other children and youths. The leaflet will consist of general information about child trafficking, what it is, input about the possible risk factors for which children/youths have to be aware and sensitive to. It will give suggestions what children/ youths can do if they are in a risky situation. The leaflet will be designed in a child-friendly way. The campaign has a goal to support children to raise awareness in order to prevent child trafficking in their institutions.