23 February 2007
Program Helps Trafficking Victims in Brazil Rebuild Their Lives
Partnership for a Better Life
"We work to ensure that children and adolescents do not become victims again. They are referred to proper service providers without revealing their identities in order to prevent stigmatization," says Luciana Tuma, an anti-trafficking worker in Brazil.
For decades, human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Brazil was viewed as an isolated phenomenon. The victims' lack of visibility made it difficult for them to identify those who could help. It also made it difficult for organizations that wanted to help to work with each other.
In response, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partner organizations developed a program to give victims access to and training in health, education and psycho-social services through a help network known as Sentinela. Using qualified governmental and nongovernmental service providers, the program helps victims reintegrate into society.
In coordination with local universities, Sentinela produces booklets, articles and publications for public awareness campaigns.
Sentinela has gained recognition as an effective model for combating trafficking and is being expanded from six to 24 sites. USAID provides technical assistance. Partners, including the Brazilian government, local universities and the Organization of American States (OAS) are helping to fund the network's expansion. Brazil’s government hopes to add approximately 100 cities to the program.
The next step is to improve the capacity of police, prosecutors and judges to investigate, apprehend and punish trafficking gangs. With funding from the U.S. Presidential Initiative on Trafficking in Persons, USAID now is helping to build this capacity.
Trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation continue to be pervasive problems in Brazil. But the program has made visible progress in its first three years. Trafficking and sexual exploitation denunciations have almost doubled since the program’s start.
"As people become more aware of commercial sexual exploitation, they lose their fear of denouncing it," said Socorro Santos, a Sentinela staff member.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
