awareness
Odanadi believes building relationships is the most effective way to fight human trafficking at its source. By enlisting the support of local communities, schools, students, police, grassroots organizations and the judiciary, Odanadi aims to create a people’s movement against human trafficking, sexual exploitation and slavery – to end this spiraling abuse of human rights throughout India and across the globe.
Vigilance committees are a cornerstone of Odanadi’s grassroots ‘social policing’ philosophy. Currently Odanadi runs 80 such vigilance committees across three districts of Karnataka, in which villagers, farmers, teachers and community leaders participate in monthly group meetings to discuss issues of security, women and child protection schemes, education, and other problems that may arise locally. The majority of trafficking victims are from rural and impoverished areas, so the formation of vigilance groups provides a crucial safeguard against traffickers, can help to expose trafficking networks and save potential victims. Once a village group has been formed and educated, they can then go out and educate others within the community, as well as future generations.
Odanadi’s awareness raising schemes have been created to prevent and reduce the incidence of human trafficking within certain high-risk communities. Activities include the distribution of educational materials, professional training sessions, school competitions, village street performances, an anti-trafficking rally, an anti-trafficking day of observation by students and a documentary film showing on human trafficking.
Indigenous art forms such as folk music, dance, theatre, murals and puppetry are used to sensitise local people to the issues around trafficking. These activities take place in several communities throughout Mysore district and beyond, in order to effectively reach the largest numbers of people.
In 2006 a trafficking-awareness rally held by Odanadi in the high-risk HD Kote area of Mysore District, garnered the support of 370 surrounding villages. More than 2000 people attended, including locals, police and judiciary. As a result of Odanadi’s work in this area, 630 missing children were returned to their families from situations of domestic slavery, prostitution and abuse; 47 criminal cases were filed against traffickers.