Trafficking is a complex phenomenon, resulting from a number of interlinked, livelihood insecurity causes - poverty, ignorance, lack of secure livelihoods and social vulnerability. Most anti-trafficking interventions are limited to stand-alone activities like advocacy, rescue and limited rehabilitation of trafficked victims. The Development Alternatives Framework for the Livelihood Approach is based on the rationale that sustainable reduction in vulnerability to trafficking can be achieved only through livelihood generation. Therefore, the solution should go beyond rescue homes and counselling and provide integrated options for capacity building on livelihood enhancement, market development and employment.

This allows potentially vulnerable communities to become self-reliant – economically, socially and gives them a sense of self-worth.

As proof of concept, this framework formed the basis for our first on-ground interventions leading to the establishment of an Integrated Resource Centre for livelihood generation activities near the Indo-Nepal Border, a highly trafficking prone area in October 2006.

• Village/Block Level: LIVELIHOOD NUCLEI (LN) - Trains and builds vocational skills that strengthen livelihoods at micro-level

• District Level: INTEGRATED RESOURCE CENTRE (IRC) - undertakes these activities on larger scale along with coordination between various LNs and local stakeholders

• Management and Consultancy level: CATALYST - capacity building of local partner NGO, IRCs and LNs, technical interface, business and market development, finance linkages, monitoring, evaluation and advocacy.

• We conducted a study commissioned by USAID in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for mapping the vulnerabilities of trafficking prone communities.

• USAID then commissioned us to initiate a livelihood-based pilot in Uttrakhand, Tanakpur region near the Indo-Nepal border as proof of concept. The pilot was supported by Friends of Women’s World Banking.

• We undertook another project for Creating Livelihood Options for Trafficking- prone Communities in three states and 21 districts in India to prevent trafficking and HIV-Aids for UNDP-TAHA (Trafficking and HIV-Aids).

• UN Office on Drugs and Crime has commissioned DA to map livelihood needs of trafficking-prone areas in three Indian states and develop a response strategy which is ongoing.

Future plans involve bringing like-minded organizations on a common platform and adopting a livelihoods approach on a larger scale as a prevention measure for trafficking. We are also in dialogue with the Indian government to include this approach in their schemes.

In order to create these partnerships, the first and foremost factor is that the partner should believe in and be ready to adopt the concept. Ways of creating partnerships may include:

• Creating awareness and promoting the approach through public forums
• Sharing successful experiences
• Validation by specialized agencies and women’s bodies
• Connecting with organizations engaged in similar activities
• Publication of success stories and materials for publicity
• Providing innovative customization to the livelihoods approach in a manner which serves the needs of different partners and allows them to fulfill their mandates
• Advocacy and media support

- This approach has moved beyond trafficking and is being used for prevention of other vulnerabilities like distress migration in disaster prone areas, lack of education, gender inequality etc.
- Donors and other institutions have started advocating the livelihood approach to their project partners
- Partner NGOs whose capacities have been built during these projects have started adopting the Livelihood Approach while implementing other projects.
- Safer migration of communities due to the skills they are taught.

• Community women and young girls in trafficking prone areas, who have been provided with skill-building training to enhance their economic and social self-reliance
• Other members of the family including men have been exposed and sensitized to awareness generation programmes highlighting trafficking ills and the role of women in adding to livelihood systems at the household level
• Partner NGOs and other stakeholders, including local self-governance institutions, for whom capacity building has been undertaken on livelihood orientation

The pilots have demonstrated that they can be self sustaining. We plan to replicate/multiply the models and also scale-up them up to make them self-sustainable business models. Once it becomes a revenue-generating model it can also be taken forward with support for venture capitalists and converted into legal entities like section 25 companies or a registered society.

We hope to align with other anti-trafficking networks, some of which are working with our partners, to promote the livelihood approach solution.

• Full time-225
• Part time- Nil
• Volunteers – 8-10

The Society for Development Alternatives (DA), a leading civil society organisation in India, has pioneered the concept of the creation of sustainable livelihoods in large numbers for sustainable development and the regeneration of the environment. Its activities cover the design and large scale delivery of eco friendly and technology based solutions. Its end users include women, the poor, the marginalized and nature.

- Lack of entrepreneurial ability and spirit, preventing the livelihood nuclei/centres from becoming self sustaining
- Inaccessibility of market for small entrepreneurs to sell their products due to location of enterprises in rural areas
- Competition from industry making the micro-enterprises difficult to sustain
- Limited access to financial linkages which provides inadequate seed capital and working capital to the entrepreneurs

During one field visit, the DA project team stopped at the border town. It was found that the families were struggling to get two meals in a day and were resorting to being trafficked as a solution. .

Belbandkot was identified as a potential target, source and nodal point for traffickers, migrants and tourists. DA decided to use its integrated livelihood approach to bring about a long-term sustainable change in the conditions of trafficking prone communities and set up an IRC here. Guddi and her husband in Belbandkot were identified as key drivers who became the learders for change in the area by not only facilitating the process but also by imparting skills of zardozi. Their training imparting skills and designer input from us became a major source of sustainable livelihood for the communities.

Panthagot is a neighbouring village of 30 families. It is completely isolated. Its people are agricultural labour or the men-folk have migrated. From this village - Bimla Devi, Pushpa Devi, Sunita and Sapna – took admission into IRC’s embroidery unit and also took charge of performing the key activities at the center.

To reach the centre they would get up at 4 am; 6 am they would leave the house and walk five hours everyday. In the afternoon they would leave the center at 2:30 pm and to reach home at 5 pm. Today, these women are good craftswomen and skilled workers, working towards contributing to their household incomes and change the lives of their families – everyday heroes from Panthagot.