The Foundation has worked for a number of years in Vietnam to address the tragic problem of human trafficking, and the sexual and labor exploitation that young women risk as they look for ways out of poverty. In recent years, marriages to men in places like Korea and Taiwan have become increasingly common in the Mekong Delta, but it is a situation rife with potential abuse, given the power and wealth disparity between these women and the men they hope will change their lives and the lives of their families. Internal migration is also on the rise, as many young people move into cities looking for employment opportunities.
If we hope to address the constraints in young people's lives that push them into such precarious, dangerous situations, finding economic opportunities for them where they live and equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills is critical. We work to disseminate anti-trafficking messages more dynamically to communities through local theater groups. We help secondary students learn about labor and sexual risks they may face as they begin their working lives through games and songs they compose themselves. We link women migrant workers in Hanoi to resources that they would not otherwise know about. More and more, we are focusing on connecting disadvantaged groups to economic opportunities that the country is enjoying but they cannot yet access. In August 2008, we undertook a systematic analysis of our anti-trafficking program activities in the last six years and disseminated the lessons learned widely with government, development practitioners, and civil society organizations. Countering human trafficking's pernicious effects requires the constant sharing of information and assessment of what are the most effective interventions at any point in time.