Pillars

Collectivisation of Youth

Hummingbird and its Partners believe that if youth are provided with the opportunity to raise their consciousness of their fundamental human rights, they can become agents of change in their community. This potential impact multiplies when youth take action together. It is further believed that their participation is imperative for promoting child-friendly environments and behaviours, and for building community-owned programmes.

Hummingbird’s Partners work with action groups of youth, or “Collectives”, through which youth participate in a structured learning process that focuses on gender issues, how trafficking manifests in their communities, strategies for accessing rights, and tools for negotiating with those in power.

Collectives will be encouraged to actively collaborate with community institutions such as Village Level Child Protection Committees, and to build evidence that can influence these institutions’ decision making.

Forming and Strengthening
Community-Based Institutions

Hummingbird and its Partners believe that government recognised, community-based institutions are vital in ensuring the implementation, sustainability, and effectiveness of a programme to prevent the trafficking of children. Community-based institutions can take many forms, Hummingbird and its Partners have identified Village (and Block) Level Child Protection Committees as the appropriate institutions to prevent trafficking within communities.

In West Bengal, Child Protection Committees are schematic bodies created under a government-supported scheme with the specific intention of, “creating and promoting a child friendly and safe community environment wherein all children’s well being, safety and rights are protected”. The CPCs have an explicit mandate to target child trafficking, marriage and labour, and Hummingbird Partners build VLCPC to combat child protection violations.

Village-level CPCs are mandated to include two children, and wherever possible Partners ensure these are Collective members. VLCPCs will be encouraged to work with Collectives to document evidence of good practice and successful interventions on different child protection issues. VLCPCs will also play an instrumental role in ensuring vulnerable girls and families are linked to relevant entitlements.

Access to Rights and Entitlements

Hummingbird and its Partners believe that if individuals and families have access to entitlement programs, livelihood options, and/or public services, they will be less vulnerable to trafficking. This stems from a core belief that governments must provide access to basic rights and entitlements, and that the adequate provision of these is fundamental to reducing vulnerabilities to trafficking.

Hummingbird’s Partners use data to better understand the varying nature of vulnerability and design targeted outreach and awareness raising initiatives. Strategic communications is an important facet of this pillar. Partners will also build evidence for advocacy efforts aimed at modifying schemes to make them more effective and accessible.

PARTNERS