Emergency Aftercare

Stripped of their freedom and living in the shadows, thousands of men, women and children are trapped in slavery every day. Most suffer severe physical and psychological damage, and are unable or unsure of how to seek help or report the crime.  WHI’s Emergency Aftercare facilities offer survivors of slavery a path towards recovery, providing immediate and comprehensive care, education, life skills training and connection to legal counsel to prosecute traffickers. Following the initial recovery period, an assessment determines whether each survivor is transferred to ongoing care through partner organizations or is reintegrated to their homes. Survivors returned to their families are monitored for a year following reintegration to ensure they remain healthy, in school or with jobs, and away from traffickers.

WHI restores survivors of slavery in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world:  

Sierra Leone

Since 2012, WHI has operated a first of its kind Trafficking in Persons Recovery Center in Sierra Leone to provide immediate shelter, care and restoration for minor girls subjected to rape, sex trafficking or forced labor. The center provides holistic and comprehensive aftercare to survivors of trafficking by providing: (a) safe residential care for six to twelve months; (b) short-term clinical care that addresses survivors' physical and spiritual health, as well as psychological and social needs; (C) legal support; and (d) reintegration support and case management services. The ultimate goal of aftercare services is to successfully reintegrate survivors into Sierra Leonean communities. 

WHI believes that supporting the emotional healing process of a trafficked survivor is vital for their optimal recovery. In order to cultivate such healing, individuals receive therapeutic care with a trained WHI counselor. The end goal is for clients to stabilize, gain coping skills, process the harm they have experienced, reclaim self-direction in their lives, and eventually be reintegrated into community life with family and friends. Following the initial recovery period, an assessment determines whether each survivor is transferred to ongoing care through partner organizations or is reintegrated to their home with monitoring to ensure they remain healthy, in school or with jobs, and away from traffickers. Through this process, WHI assesses a survivor’s family and community to gauge the viability of a successful reintegration. Furthermore, WHI supports income generating activities for clients or their families through small grants, training, formal education, or vocational education. Once reunification happens, WHI continues to provide continued support. For instance, WHI follows-up on every client after reintegration to check on the progress of survivors in adjusting to a functioning community life.

Cambodia

From 2005 to 2015, World Hope International operated an Assessment Center in Cambodia that cared for more than 1,100 survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and/or rape. The Assessment Center provided immediate, emergency shelter and restorative care for minor girls subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or rape. The Center, located in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh, provided every survivor with physical, mental, and spiritual care, as well as medical and psychological attention including doctor visits and counseling. In order to help young survivors return to as normal a childhood as possible, the girls were also engaged in a variety of activities, including sports, dance, arts and crafts, music and education. Following their initial recovery, each girl was either returned to their family or placed with a longer-term care facility. In 2015, WHI celebrated a major reduction in the level of child sex trafficking in Cambodia. This program has been recognized by the U.S. Department of State as a best in-practice for this type of care.