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AFESIP Laos at the Francohone Forum for Employment in vientiane

On 27^th March 2010, AFESIP Laos attended the Francophone forum for Employment held at the  French Centre in Vientiane  to provide information on AFESIP project to the visitors and more specifically university and high school students looking for job opportunities but also willing to get ideas on their future work field.  Such a forum targeting mostly young people is also a good interface for AFESIP to advocate and raise awareness on the issue on Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Women in Laos.

This forum was supported by the French Embassy, The French Centre and Campus France in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Laos and was divided into 2 parts: one part bringing together professionals from different work fields such as Justice, Education, Medicine, Humanitarian, etc. and able to answer questions on their work to the students. The second part of the forum was aimed at presenting different companies and organisations, their products and activities to give a practical idea of what could await the students if they decide to work for one of the participants.  Job offers were also available and AFESIP proposed one volunteer opportunity in this forum.

French and Lao languages were used to communicate during the forum. AFESIP was one of the two humanitarian organizations attending the forum together with Friends International.  AFESIP Social Enterprise (ASE) held a stand displayed and sold the Fair Beauty and handmade products produced by former victims of Human Trafficking and distributed brochures on AFESIP, ASE, Children rights and domestic workers.

During the forum, AFESIP was approached by many young people from university, colleges and high schools. Most of them had no idea about the signification of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation and didn’t know it existed in Lao PDR. Moreover, prostitution issues and in particular the causes leading to prostitution were frequently asked questions by the students.   In order to present the context and the work of AFESIP in Lao PDR, a short documentary on Human Trafficking and AFESIP activities in Laos was also presented to the students in the French Centre Amphitheatre. AFESIP Director, Dr Didier Bertrand, answered to all the diverse questions of the public after the film projection. Many young people attending showed their interest in AFESIP’s work and were willing to volunteer to give us a hand in the combat against Human Trafficking in Lao PDR.