We are excited to have been able to partner with Hands, a foundation that is involved in the prevention of Child Trafficking in Northern Thailand.

The trafficking and exploitation of children is a serious issue in the Golden Triangle, a region where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. It is an area notorious for criminal activities, especially drugs and human trafficking. In Thailand, trafficking is a £10 billion annual business, which is equivalent to 50%-60% of the government's annual budget and more lucrative than the drug trade. It is in this very remote and isolated region that hands is working for the protection of children at risk.

The majority of these children come from communities broken by poverty, unemployment and family instability. 12 to 16 year olds from the hilltribes of northern Thailand are particularly vulnerable and are trafficked throughout Thailand, Europe, India, and the Middle East.

In order to address these problems Hands have established a ChildWatch project which is modelled on the UK's Neighbourhood Watch scheme. Hands staff identify communities at risk and engage with local leaders to raise awareness of human trafficking. Volunteers are recruited to be a channel for the community to report any suspicious behaviour or incidents to staff. By mobilising volunteers within their local communities they can spread awareness to parents and guardians about the risks posed by traffickers.

We were able to make a donation of ~£2,800 from our Traffic Light Appeal.

Hands World directors David and Carol Summers reported, "We have around 50 villages in the project now, and have produced 250 ‘T’ shirts and will have 50 signs for the villages within the next week. We are also producing ID cards for our volunteers with their photo – they feel this will empower them even more. Thanks again for helping to make this possible."