Our partnership with The Freedom Story 

In Thailand, there are over 400,000 people who are stateless: they have no citizenship anywhere, and many more face ethnic discrimination. Their lack of citizenship makes stateless Thai children more vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Estimates suggest that as many as 60,000 children are exploited in the Thai commercial sex trade each year. Many of these children come from the rural regions of the North where poverty, gender discrimination, and familial obligations encourage many to enter the sex trade.

We partnered with The Freedom Story to prevent human trafficking in the Chiang Rai region of Thailand. Critical to The Freedom Story’s prevention model are their human rights, counseling, and youth leadership programs. The human rights programs taught students and community members about the Thai law and their legal and human rights. Through their counseling programs and youth leadership clubs and activities, the students were given the tools to develop social and sexual awareness, tools for self-empowerment, and the healing of individuals and communities. The student leadership team became heavily involved in community outreach during this project. A group of leaders set up a booth at a local festival in Chiang Rai to educate their peers about the causes of human trafficking. Students also wrote, acted in, and produced a short film about online sexual exploitation of children. Children and families were provided access to counseling, legal services, and help ensuring that they are on the path to rightful citizenship.