By Destiny Reflection team, India
Human trafficking operates through highly organised networks, employing corrupt practices such as bribery, coercion, sexual violence, and even murder to entrap individuals. Traffickers often deceive victims with false promises of employment or marriage, while others are forcibly trafficked and later pressured to return to exploitative conditions.
For survivors, leaving a shelter home does not always mark the end of their struggles. Many find themselves unemployed or in precarious, exploitative jobs without adequate support systems, increasing their vulnerability to re-trafficking. In rural areas, survivors returning to their families often face deep-seated stigma, social exclusion, and a lack of economic opportunities. These barriers can drive many back into trafficking networks out of sheer desperation.
Although some businesses in India provide employment opportunities for survivors, they often struggle to scale their impact and adequately address the special needs of trauma survivors. Similarly, rural NGOs frequently lack the capacity to offer sustainable livelihood alternatives. Research on sex trafficking in India, underscores the harsh reality: many survivors who are rescued and reintegrated into their communities often end up in worse situations than before due to inadequate long-term support.
The role of sustained support in reintegration
Long-term support is crucial for survivors at critical life junctions—whether transitioning to a new job, relocating to a different city for better opportunities, deciding on marriage, or leaving shelter care. These moments of transition are when vulnerabilities peak, and the risk of re-exploitation resurfaces.
Destiny Reflection’s Programs support survivors at these pivotal moments, offering mentorship, housing assistance, and job placement to help survivors build stable, independent lives.
A survivor shared:
“Mentorship from Destiny was different. They never got angry when I didn’t understand something. They explained things patiently, and I learned to trust them.” - Former shelter resident
Another survivor recounted:
“Leaving the shelter was scary. I didn’t know how to live outside, where to go, or who to trust. Without my mentor, I would have been cheated again.” - Former shelter resident
By offering survivors jobs and internships at Destiny’s social enterprise initiative, as well as job referrals, child care, housing, and ongoing mentorship, Destiny Reflection is able to support their empowerment and agency to reclaim control over their lives and stand resilient against their past exploiters. Caregivers and mentors play an indispensable role in this rehabilitation process, offering the guidance and security needed for survivors to rebuild with confidence.
A way forward
To break the cycle of trafficking, a multi-pronged approach is necessary—one that combines long-term psychological support, economic empowerment, and systemic change. Governments, businesses, and NGOs must collaborate to ensure survivors receive continuous care, vocational training, and dignified employment opportunities. Addressing the root causes of trafficking and reintegration challenges will pave the way for a future where survivors are not only rescued but are also truly free.
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