We are grateful to Action Aid Nigeria for the opportunity to provide support for 20 program beneficiaries who were either able to successfully learn a skill or start a small business through the ‘Pathway to Post COVID-19 Freedom’ Project. Using our 12-Point Vulnerability Indicator, the Project sought to identify survivors of sex trafficking who had been adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and provide support that would assist their recovery, amidst Nigeria’s current recession and economic downturn.
In addition to economic empowerment, graduating beneficiaries all received medical care/medications, mental health counseling, life skills training, COVID-19 supplies as well as food and other basic support. All survivors also received business strategy training on how to pivot their businesses at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown; a resource that was imperative to assisting their transition. As a result, several were able to employ varying marketing strategies by moving their businesses online, with many generating supplemental income via Whatsapp, Facebook or Instagram. Others were able to create mobile or subscription businesses or start small, interim businesses that focused on selling items that were in demand, such as hand sanitizers, soaps, fruit, etc. (Utilizing our ‘survivor centered’ approach, beneficiaries were able to launch these supplemental businesses after consultation with them on the areas of training that would be helpful to them under the circumstances. Our trainings were then adapted accordingly and were conducted by alumni survivors within the larger PJI family.) Finally, eight (8) beneficiaries were provided with shelter and are no longer facing evictions and/or homelessness in what is an unrelenting COVID-19 economy.
Thank you, Action Aid Nigeria (with support from Global Affairs Canada)! We are honoured to have been able to partner with you to provide this support to some of our survivors. As this Project ends, we look forward to future collaborations to bring an end to human trafficking in Nigeria. #EndTrafficking #Not4Sale #NigerianWomenMatter #CanadaDevNG
