My Organization provides psychosocial counseling to adolescent and adult victims of human trafficking.
We also organize trainings, workshops, and campaigns, with the aim to fully reintegrate trafficking victims into society. And to achieve this, we additionally work with people at every level of policymaking to try and positively influence anti-trafficking policies in Colombia.
My Organization was established in 2004 and since then it has been, through prevention and assistance to victims, at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking in the country.
UNODC has become our strategic ally in this fight and a very important partner, as it has been supporting us in the process of restoring the rights of human trafficking victims.
The most challenging part of my work is to overcome the reality of violence and the denial of rights, which hit the most vulnerable of our societies.
But we sometimes also have to deal with the lack of commitment of some of the victims who seem only to be interested in the financial support they can get.
However, in most of the cases the victims manage to overcome their trauma and can be fully integrated into society. I do feel proud when victims finally are able to mourn, process the facts, tell their story and exchange experiences.
During COVID-19 we provided psychosocial counseling and care remotely. We have been focusing on emotional containment, crisis intervention, and guidance in managing anxiety, stress, or melancholy. But we also put greater emphasis on conflict resolution or establishing a healthy relationship with the family. And to help victims make good use of the extra time on their hands due to the lockdown measures, we also engaged them in self-reflection activities such as yoga or meditation.
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons - campaign website
