Activities
Bijoyini in the Tafteesh Resilient Community Network
Bijoyini leaders are implementing a project in North 24 Parganas to support gender-variant individuals who face trafficking risks due to social isolation. We are identifying vulnerable individuals, raising community awareness on gender diversity, and helping rebuild connections between communities and gender-variant people. At the same time, we are working to strengthen existing government systems to ensure better access to services and long-term sustainability for gender-variant individuals.
Our initiatives also include raising awareness on these issues and building a self-reliant, trafficking-free community where every form of diversity is accepted, heard, and seen. At present our team is working with 6 Panchayat and 15 gender variant individuals. Our efforts contribute to create an informed, empowered community that extends support to every vulnerable person who feels unprotected, unheard or unseen.
Capacity Building
Bijoyini strengthens the skills and leadership of its members through extensive capacity-building sessions and active participation in advocacy forums. Having completed over 150 nos. of trainings on different issues, we now use our knowledge to empower community members and help them access essential government services.
More than that these extensive trainings have made us more rational, empathetic and informative which also impacts our own lives and help us to take informed decisions to improve our lives.
Advocacy & Access to Services
Bijoyini is actively engaged in block- and district-level advocacy with more than 150 key stakeholders, including BDO, BWO, BLF, Panchayat representatives, WDO, DSW, DCPO, and others. Through continuous coordination, they are ensuring survivors’ and vulnerable community members’ access to essential government services such as Home Grants, SVSKP and MWEP loans, ER Grants, and regular GR support. As a result, around more than 100 survivors have received Home Grants, 25 have accessed SVSKP loans, and over 50 have secured ER Grants, while all Bijoyini members receive regular GR from their respective block offices. Bijoyini members also provided guidance to underprivileged community members who are in need for all kind of govt. schemes & grants for their better life.
- Advocacy at Block, District, and State levels.
- Facilitating access to government schemes and services.
- Leading informed decision-making for community change.
- Implementing community-based rehabilitation using available schemes.
- Engaging in national-level advocacy for a comprehensive Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) Bill.
Peer Support
Peer support enables us to understand the current situation of our peers and helps them overcome personal challenges. Through regular outreach, we not only support our own group members but also connect with newly rescued survivors in the community, ensuring they receive guidance, care, and timely assistance.
Raising Public Awareness
- Raise awareness around the issue of Human trafficking in West Bengal & promote discussions pertaining to anti trafficking.
- To increase the knowledge of community about available schemes & services
- To eliminate violence against women and children.
- For crisis intervention.
- To form Community Resources like Volunteer groups, Crisis Response team.
- To prevent trafficking in person, child marriage, domestic violence, inclusion of gender variant individuals we do Community meeting with Community Stakeholders like Panchayat, Political and religious leaders etc. For that cause we have done more than 50 community meetings in different Panchayat and generate awareness among community members, ICDS workers, health workers, school teachers etc.
Networking with other organisations or collectives
Networking with other collectives and organizations is essential to strengthen skills through knowledge sharing, mutual learning, gain access to critical resources and technical support, and foster sustainable development. It helps to build meaningful connections that create opportunities for collaboration, joint initiatives, and collective impact. Through networking, we are able to clearly communicate our objectives, mobilize partners and supporters, and exchange ideas, strategies, and best practices to address complex social issues effectively. It also enhances advocacy by creating a united voice at block, district, state, and national levels, improves referral mechanisms and coordinated support for our collective cause. Most importantly, networking increases our visibility and influence within the movement against human trafficking, promotes solidarity among collectives, and enables wider outreach to marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Strengthening & Promoting community Based Rehabilitation Model
Financial Inclusion & SHG Formation
We have formed Self Help Groups (SHGs) to promote the financial inclusion of survivors of human trafficking. Livelihood initiatives such as tailoring, stitching, small business and farming have been introduced within the community by our collective members. We also take part in different community gatherings like trade fair or handicraft fair to showcase our products which provide us visibility and opportunity. In addition, surveys and networking with other organizations and institutions are conducted to explore viable livelihood options.