In September 2021, 30 families (143 women, children, and men) made a journey of around 800 miles with “labor brokers” in hopes of finding decent employment. Unfortunately, these labor brokers were actually traffickers. During the 22+ hour journey these families were not provided with any food. Once they arrived at the brick kiln they realized the owners would not let them leave. Instead, they were ordered to work from 4 am to 9 pm daily, with only a one hour break. They were verbally abused when requesting their wages. When they did receive compensation, it was barely enough to survive. The traffickers withheld money for firewood, electricity, medicine, and other services.
On May 20, 2022, JVI and a local partner, along with local police and authorities, coordinated a rescue intervention. During interviews the families disclosed that the children had also been working at the brick kiln. They shared stories of abuse, their fear of the traffickers, and a desire to be free to go back to their villages.
JVI coordinated transportation for the families to return home safely and for food during the trip. JVI’s legal team is working closely with the police and prosecutors to ensure the traffickers are held accountable and that the survivors secure government rehabilitation assistance. Our aftercare team has already begun assessing the needs of each family to ensure they remain secure and protected from future exploitation. After the survivors reached home safely, they confirmed that they “are fine and happy being free.”
