Within the framework of the project, in 2013, there has been established and started its operation the first Latvian 24/7 Helpline (+371) 28612120 for prevention of human trafficking. From August 2013 to December 2015, the Helpline has been used by inhabitants in total 471 times. Most often inhabitants have been interested about sham marriages and safe employment abroad. In order to ensure the basis for quality service and promote recognition of the Helpline, in 2014, the society “Shelter “Safe House”” has organized training of the Helpline specialists, and in cooperation with a socially responsible company www.irdarbs.lv has developed visual materials – informative banners and posters, which were distributed in 28 branches of the State Employment Agency and sent to more than 600 schools in Latvia, 46 youth and children education centres, as well as published on the society homepage http://www.draugiem.lv/www.patverums-dm.lv/ and homepages of cooperation partners. In 2015, a cooperation agreement with the Latvian Hostel Association was concluded, and the information about human trafficking and the Helpline was distributed in hostels in Riga and across the whole Latvia.
In order to ensure quality service provided by the Helpline operators, in-depth training was organized, where the necessary knowledge was acquired and improved by workers of the society and volunteers of the society, who participate in ensuring of activities. Within the project specialists and leading workers of the society also had an opportunity to attend monthly supervisions and receive advisory support concerning issues related to their professional operation. Also two workshops on qualitative involvement in decision- and policy-making processes, as well as development of the public image of organization have taken place. By using the society homepage, involving the organization brivpratigais.lv, using eLPA News page, and by publishing activities of the society in mass media, involvement of volunteers in the organization was promoted.
Aimed to develop interinstitutional cooperation for prevention of human trafficking, providing the risk groups more frequently subjected to human trafficking with preventive measures, and putting special emphasis on regions, in the NGO coalition platform for prevention of human trafficking, which was established in December 2013, 12 organizations joint together: ”Shelter ”Safe House””, ”Latvian Association of SOS Children`s Villages”, “Structural unit of ”Social Service Agency” Family Crisis Centre ”Mīlgrāvis”, “Samaritan Association of Latvia” Crisis Centre for Children and Women ”Māras centrs”, ”Crisis Centre of Talsi Region”, ”Baltic Regional Fund”, “For Vidzeme Free of Human Trafficking”, “National Council of Irish Latvians”, ”Crisis Centre for Families and Children ”Paspārne””, foundation ”Centre Valdardze” , Family Support Centre-Shelter of Daugavpils City Council and ”Salvation Army”.
Also an active work has been done within the project for education of youth on human trafficking – a lesson plan for the informal education method “Forumteātrisˮ (“Forum Theatreˮ) has been developed in 2014, which has been used in 2015 for education of students on the issue of human trafficking. In total 15 such lessons have been organized, informing 655 young people all around Latvia about human trafficking.
The team of “Shelter “Safe Houseˮˮ professionals indicates that the work on prevention of human trafficking doesn`t stop and is continued in such projects as“Improved Anti-Human Trafficking Solutions: Baltic-Russian Cooperation Networkˮ and “Preventing Human Trafficking and Sham Marriages: A Multidisciplinary Solutionˮ (HESTIA).
The project "Society’s “Shelter “Safe House”” Action Support Programme to Reduce Human Trafficking in Latvia" is financed by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. The programme NGO Fund ir financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism and Latvian government. Find out more about the EEA Financial Mechanism programme NGO Fund here. Website of the Society Integration Foundation: http://www.sif.lv Website of the EEA Financial Mechanism in Latvia: http://www.eeagrants.lv Official website of the EEA Financial Mechanism: http://www.eeagrants.org. Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the society “Shelter “Safe House””.
More information: Rasa Salina, NGO "Shelter "Safe House"", PR Specialist, e-mail: rasa.salina@gmail.com
