TruStory
The Ashshash project targets the pervasive issue of human trafficking in Bangladesh, focusing on survivors’ reintegration and community awareness. Funded by the Embassy of Switzerland and implemented by Winrock International, the initiative offers psychosocial counseling, healthcare, and legal aid, coupled with tailored vocational and entrepreneurship training. By addressing the social and economic vulnerabilities that perpetuate trafficking, the project aims to restore survivors’ dignity, foster self-sufficiency, and build resilient communities to prevent future exploitation.
Labour migration is a key poverty reduction strategy for Bangladesh, with over 13 million migrants. However, job creation lags behind which leads to exploitation, particularly in the informal sector. Migrants often face trafficking, torture, and forced labor. Human trafficking, worsened by poverty, discrimination, and weak legal enforcement, affects thousands annually, with women trafficked for sexual exploitation and men for forced labor. Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate change and economic crises further exacerbates trafficking risks. The Ashshash project is a four year project (implemented in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Satkhira and Jashore), which aims to improve social and economic wellbeing of 5,000 women and men who have escaped trafficking (70% women). Focusing on reintegration, it provides counseling, legal, and economic empowerment services.
Key strategies include partnerships with local organizations, market-driven skill development, private-sector engagement, and gender-sensitive approaches. Economic services include tailored vocational training and a specialized 10-day Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) module, with 502 survivors already trained in business management, financial literacy, and market analysis.
People
The project directly transforms the lives of human trafficking survivors by equipping them with essential entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy. These individuals, who endured unimaginable trauma and social stigma, now have the tools to achieve self-sufficiency and rebuild their lives with dignity. Training in business planning, risk mitigation, and self-management empowers survivors to make informed decisions, overcome challenges, and sustain their entrepreneurial journeys.
Planet
While the primary focus is on rehabilitation, the project indirectly supports sustainable practices through training in wise investments and business planning. Survivors are encouraged to consider long-term business strategies that promote resource efficiency and environmental responsibility. By fostering sustainable enterprises, participants contribute to ethical business practices that minimize environmental harm, creating a more sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Community
The project strengthens local organizations, enhancing their capacity to provide mentorship and support to survivors, ensuring sustainable reintegration. As survivors build thriving businesses, they contribute to local economic growth, inspiring others in the community. This initiative also raises awareness of human trafficking and fosters a culture of inclusion, resilience, and social responsibility, creating a supportive environment where survivors can flourish.
The project contributes to several SDG’s, primarily focusing on: SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10: Reduced Inequality, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 5: Gender Equality
The project is expected to significantly impact the reintegration and rehabilitation of survivors, both personally and socially, by promoting social equality and dignity. By equipping survivors with essential skills in business management, value chain understanding, business planning through the Business Model Canvas, risk mitigation, marketing strategies, and wise investments, their businesses will flourish. Financial literacy training will also be woven throughout the program, enabling participants to manage their finances effectively. Additionally, the training aims to enhance local organisations’ capacity to provide ongoing support and mentorship, ensuring sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration, and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bangladesh.
“In Bangladesh, Winrock International has been instrumental in strengthening agriculture, enhancing climate resilience, and advancing human rights. With SDC funding, the Ashshash project launched in 2018 to support survivors of trafficking. As the interim coordinator, I had the privilege of contributing to this impactful initiative. Truvalu’s partnership added significant value by providing essential Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT), fostering entrepreneurship and sustainable growth among the beneficiaries. Through the comprehensive EDT training and Master Trainer sessions, I witnessed the incredible progress of survivors in their entrepreneurial journeys, as they gained the capacity to sustain and expand these services to benefit even more individuals.”
Quote by project coordinator Truvalu Anuj Kumar Mondal
Truvalu’s contributions to the Ashshash project in Bangladesh consist of providing key Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT), including a specialized 10-day EDT module and Facilitators Guide. This survivor-centric program focused on entrepreneurial and financial literacy, tailored to local contexts. By equipping Case Managers and Survivor Reintegration Programs with strategies for ongoing support and motivation, Truvalu’s training ensured the long-term success of survivors’ microbusinesses and contributed to Ashshash’s mission of economic empowerment in Bangladesh.
Truvalu facilitated 20 batches of training sessions, covering topics such as business idea generation, market analysis, business plan creation, financial literacy, marketing, business law, and business expansion. A total of 500 survivor beneficiaries are empowered to analyze the business context and develop strategies to manage and grow their enterprises successfully.
Truvalu’s expertise in entrepreneurship and social impact was instrumental in designing and delivering the EDT module. By leveraging our experience in developing and supporting small and growing businesses, we created a training program that is tailored to the specific needs of survivors and equipped them with the practical skills necessary to succeed as entrepreneurs.