Bangladesh youth learns about human trafficking at Youth Journalism Camp

Bangladesh youth learns about human trafficking at Youth Journalism Camp


In Mymensigh, Bangladesh young journalists are taking actions to end human trafficking. The Youth Journalism Camp, organized by Relief International, teaches students of secondary schools the necessary journalistic skills to spread the message about human trafficking. The main objective of the project is to reduce vulnerability to human trafficking in the Jamalpur District of Bangladesh and to raise awareness of the general public.



Jamalpur is one of the less developed districts of Bangladesh, where the majority of the population depends solely on the agriculture sector. As a result, these people remain unemployed during specific times of the year. In this period, they often migrate to urban areas in search for employment or opportunities to migrate, which make them vulnerable to forced labour or other forms of exploitation.



The Journalism Camp was established in cooperation with the US State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP). The project targets students and teachers of 6 different schools in the districts of Melandah, Bakshiganj and Dewanganj.



" We aim to teach students about effective reporting procedures on social issues so that they can use wall magazines, news letters and various community service projects to generate widespread awareness about human rights and prevention of trafficking, " said Nazrul Islam, Country Director of Relief International in Bangladesh.



The Camp was part of the programme entitled "Enhancing Community Capacity to Reduce Vulnerability to Human Trafficking in the Jamalpur District of Bangladesh",, with a special focus on women and children. More journalism trainings for youth will take place in the next year and a half and they are expected to reach more than 300 students and teachers in one of the most trafficking prone districts in Bangladesh


About the Camp participants have said:

"This camp has been an extremely useful source of information for us. We can now work as youth journalists and protest against trafficking and other violations of human rights."


"I have gained in depth knowledge at this Camp. Now if I find any cases of trafficking or exploitation in my own community, I will be able to protest against it and also enlighten my fellow community members about the risks associated with trafficking. I will also clarify their misconceptions and counsel on various matters pertaining to trafficking. "