Real Life Stories: People Trafficking in Albania (EmpowerFULL)
The latest in our series of partner interviews is with Anxhela Bruci, the founder of EmpowerFULL, a socio-economic model which lights the path of economic empowerment for survivors of human trafficking in Albania.
Liluye’s staff writer, Sylvia Nalubega, interviewed Anxhela to find out more about their model’s vision and work.
How did you first get involved in being part of this work? In other words, what motivated you, or still drives you, to work on the issue of trafficking? Can you share a personal story?
Working in the area of economic reintegration, especially in empowering survivors is very personal to me. Twenty years ago, my family and I were smuggled from Albania to Greece trying to escape from a civil war. This experience made me understand the importance of reintegration and inspired me to create EmpowerFULL.
What are the specific mission and goals of your organization?
EmpowerFULL is a socio-economic empowerment model which assists in the economic reintegration of survivors of human trafficking through capacity building training sessions and provision of sustainable employment opportunities. Our vision is to see every survivor of human trafficking be independent so that they can rebuild their lives and fulfill their dreams by their actions and skills.
We identify our participants through safe houses and organizations that directly work with survivors of human trafficking. We present our program, and the survivors voluntarily sign up to participate in our program. Our first session starts with the EmpowerFULL “flower”, which measures the current emotional state and personal development of the survivors. This evaluation tool is also applied at the end of the program to assess their progress and change.
Our activities include a personal development program through which survivors identify their skills and needs and how these relate to the job market. We also assist them with vocational skills, career guidance, and laptops to attend online courses as well as foreign language training. With a wider range of skills, they are able to do a number of jobs, including consultancies. The employment phase involves mapping out prospective employers and connecting them with the participants who have been trained. While we reach out to companies and organizations, we are careful to assess their internal policies and working environment. We usually support the participants at our program for six months up to one year depending on their needs. In 2021, we partnered with the Mediterranean Women’s Fund so we were able to implement the EmpowerFULL model for 10 participants, including socio-educative sessions for their children.
“Survivors and victims of human trafficking should be given a place at the main table and not just a back seat. It is time to have them as key stakeholders in the discussions concerning human trafficking.”
Recently you, in partnership with Liluye and Victor Lyons from Sessionwise, took part in their PTSD training. Could you explain a bit to us about your experience with this training and how you think you’ll be using it in your work?
It was the first time that I had the chance to do a session on how to deal with PTSD and relational stress. Having the opportunity to apply real tools on how to overcome trauma was life-changing for me and the work that I do. We practiced real life case scenarios in pairs, and it was empowering to see that we can help each other overcome trauma through in-depth conversations.
What are the long-term implications of sex trafficking, especially on women and girls?
While I was doing my Master’s in global crime and justice, I focused my research on reintegration practices for human trafficking survivors. Research shows that reintegration programs lack sustainability and a long-term perspective, especially when it comes to economic empowerment. Additionally, survivors are more vulnerable towards the risk of experiencing PTSD episodes, anxiety, and depression. There is an aftermath of socio-economic challenges due to limited accessibility to decent employment opportunities.
What kind of change do you want to see as a result of your work among the survivors of sex trafficking, or those who are most vulnerable to it?
I want to see survivors of human trafficking achieving their dreams and being independent from any government or non-governmental support programs. To get there, we need strong collaboration among actors and an approach that meets the social, economic, and psychological needs of survivors.
Where to send funding for your work?
We are a grassroots model, our team members and international experts have committed their time and knowledge voluntarily. With that being said, you can support us by sharing the word about us with your community and network. We are especially open to sharing economic reintegration experiences with anti-trafficking organizations and movements across the world. Also, if you are passionate about social justice related issues, drop us an email or a message on our social media, we would love to chat.
To find out more about the EmpowerFULL:
Visit EmpowerFULL on the web: https://empowerfull.org
Visit EmpowerFULL on LinkedIn: Empowerfull
Visit EmpowerFULL on Instagram: empower_full
To connect directly with Anxhela:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
For more information about Victor Lyon’s PTSD training (SessionWise), or to support his international training program, please visit: SessionWise.org.
For more information about Liluye or to inquire about becoming a partner, please visit: www.liluye.org/contact. Or, if you are interested in donating to Liluye, please visit: www.liluye.org/donate.
Anxhela was interviewed by Liluye Staff Writer, Sylvia Nalubega, who also writes on her blog, Sanyu Centre for Arts and Rights. Her personal message to everyone is, “We live beyond ourselves by sharing our story to hopefully impact a person.”