Serbian Sex Trafficking Project?

So now you have a slice of a point of view of the problem of human trafficking. Now let's figure out what I will be doing there and how this experience will impact the NGO and my career.

I discovered NGO ATINA through the recommendation of Dr. Nicole Lindstrom, at the Central European University, on January 23^rd. Since that date, I have been in regular communications with NGO ATINA. Their communication and offering of support and collaboration has been amenable and candid. They are in contact with my practicum mentor, Dr. Sara Curran from the Jackson School of International Studies and offer to support my practicum in whichever ways are required.

NGO ATINA, supported by the International Organization for Migration, is the only organization in Serbia to provide victims of trafficking, aka beneficiaries, with support in their long-term assistance in reintegration programs entitled, Transition House, Open Club, and Field Support (for beneficiaries who need assistance outside of Belgrade). Their programs are structured to provide accommodation and food, medical and psychological assistance, legal assistance, economic empowerment, counseling, job placement and many other means of support.

My practicum will be to support NGO ATINA in their re-integration and human trafficking prevention programs. My practicum of 120 hours will last for 9 or 12 weeks, depending on the funding I receive, under the supervision of the Director of NGO ATINA, Maja Savic, and Dr. Curran. Through the course of my practicum, I will support the Transition House by working directly with beneficiaries to assist them in empowerment, education, and personal relationships. I will assist in the creation and structuring of an HIV/AIDS and STI prevention program for potential victims of trafficking through three components – 1) Assessment: investigation of attitudes and beliefs held by potential victims of trafficking that might be social determinants of sexual risk behavior. 2) Implementation of sexual risk behavior intervention: to raise community awareness of women/girls sexual risk factors and prevention/safety strategies. 3) Reporting: Data analysis and practicum report of findings.

In addition to the practicum time, I will conduct qualitative assessments with approximately 8-10 beneficiaries of NGO ATINA who have "graduated" from the program measuring topics such as their opinions about whether the program was successful, how it has impacted their lives and whether they believe that the services provided by NGO ATINA would be beneficial to women who have not been trafficked. The purpose of these interviews is to evaluate the reintegration program administered by NGO ATINA. Through NGO ATINA’s guidance, I will investigate intractable issues that may not be addressed by the program sufficiently or at all. This assessment will also allow a closer look into potential routes of prevention if this program is viewed as successful by the participants. The method will be in-person interviews, facilitated by a third party translator. The actual measures are under construction and are being crafted through the support of NGO ATINA and Dr. Curran. These interviews will be conducted at NGO ATINA under the supervision of the Director, Marijana Savic. The data collection will require review by the Human Subjects Board. Currently, there is not a Human Subjects review body in Serbia. The data analysis will be qualitative and is still to be determined.

During my practicum, I will be taking a four-week (June 30^th- July 25^th) intensive Serbian language and culture course that will give me 3 hours of instruction, 5 days a week. I have completed one year of beginner’s Czech and have been told by Director Savic that it is very similar to Serbian and it will give me an advantage in acquiring the language. This course will help me to support the beneficiaries by learning their language and its nuances and will hopefully engender the trust that can only be achieved by overcoming the language barrier.

My impetus for this practicum evolved from my application into the Social & Behavioral Sciences Program in Health Services. My public health foci are HIV prevention, gender constructs, and sexual behaviors. It is my intention to work in the field of sex trafficking research to get a better understanding of the factors at play in the oppression of these women and their susceptibility to traffickers and consequently HIV. It is my determination to support NGO ATINA’s facilitation of access to education, financial stability, and overall empowerment that will hopefully establish a norm and prevent the flow of trafficking victims in this region.

I have over 5 years of experience surveying subjects through questionnaires and interviews. I have worked with chronically ill patients in both HIV and Inflammatory Bowel Disease where I asked subjects very sensitive and personal questions. My strength lies in my ability to earn a subject’s trust by listening without judgment. This is a skill that is paramount to working with individuals who have had their trust either devastated or are attempting to talk about something that is not considered socially acceptable. I am also Human Subjects and HIPAA trained.

This practicum will help me to put into practice the concepts I have been learning about in my course work. Not only will I observe the operating social determinants of health and behaviors, I will contribute to the implementation of behavior interventions and learn what does and does not succeed in this varied environment. Most importantly, I will work with both potential and existing victims of trafficking and see how NGO ATINA’s interventions are creating a positive influence on their lives and their communities. This innovative experience will assist my education in the creation of future preventive measures that will benefit potential and existing victims of trafficking and enable them to lead healthy and successful lives.

This experience is the next phase in my career realization, as you read in my statement of purpose excerpt. My long term plans are to continue my work with support and reintegration of human trafficking victims and, most importantly for me, preventing new victims. Prevention takes great patience as it is not always clear what the mechanisms are that are creating victims of trafficking. It is very muddy and usually rife with gender constructs of women as subhuman or simply second class. This experience is the foundation of making connections in anti-trafficking organizations in Eastern and Central Europe and will facilitate my goal of working with them to stop the flow of traffick of women for sexual exploitation.

Next time:

Funding the Sex Trafficking Project

Blogroll Me!