Supporting victims of trafficking to design and develop an awareness campaign
For the first time in Albania, a group of surviving women victims of trafficking, beneficiaries of the “Different & Equal” organization devised and conducted an anti-trafficking awareness campaign to support girls and women who are victims of trafficking. This campaign came as an idea by the survivors who are reintegrating into social life after the painful experience of trafficking. D & E has supported and simplified the campaign design process by turning their ideas into art, information materials, etc.
The campaign started its activities on 19 April and was closed on July 30 on the International Anti-Trafficking Day. From its inception, the campaign of survival was strongly supported by the Office of the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator / Ministry of Interior and in particular by the Vice- Ministry of Interior, Ms. Rovena Voda.
The campaign slogan was: “I am like you! I retook back my life! So can you!”
In Frame of the campaign, a series of awareness-raising activities were organized including artistic activities with sensitizing messages:
- The photographic exhibition of the same title as the campaign slogan was the first campaign activity. During the event was also presented a photo voice (story of a victim of photo-transmitted trafficking), as well as campaign poster.
- Exhibition photos along with some created poems , became part of a photo album, published and distributed to raise awareness among the general public / victims of trafficking. Album photos showed trafficking, exploitation, violence, and abuse as the survivors had experienced. Some of the photos also transmitted messages of hope and confidence for a better future. An anti-trafficking campaign has been done in the social media directed by the victims themselves (messages / poems) etc.
- A short, awareness-raising video was prepared by one of the survivors who were part of the campaign. The short 30-minute video contained concrete facts about the degree of modern slavery today / how to report victims of trafficking etc. The video was introduced for a month on the monitors of some of Tirana’s bus lines.
- Installation – Awareness Installation #IAMLIKEYOU! has been realized and is located in the grounds of “Rinia” Park on July 30, where it stayed for about 1 week there. Such an initiative by the victims of trafficking is being carried out for the first time in Albania, and the group of girls who have survived trafficking have realized with great devotion and love the awareness campaign “I am like you! I retook back my life! So can you!”. This inauguration culminates in a series of activities that have come to life from this campaign, conveying many messages of hope and awareness. Following the “Youth” park, the installation was placed in the premises of the Police Directorate in Tirana.
- Video with campaign activities.It was important to document this initiative – an awareness campaign designed and implemented by human trafficking survivors, the first of its kind in the Albanian context.
