The IOM project teaches groups of up to 30 people skills to run a small company, such as management, accounting and marketing.

Since it started in 2006, almost 1,000 slavery survivors have started businesses, from pig farms and beauty salons to coffee shops and cucumber greenhouses.

In Ukraine, the trafficking business is thriving. In the first six months of 2017 alone, the IOM identified 639 victims of slavery – a 30% increase on 2016.

Economic crisis and political upheaval linked to the conflict in eastern Ukraine have fuelled the crime, says the IOM.

This is where many IOM scholars have emerged and are building businesses from the ground up – now with the knowledge and skills to maintain these businesses for their own future and that of their families.

Ali Chabuk, a senior livelihood specialist at IOM Ukraine, explained the concept:

The idea... is to help people monetise their skills.

Owning a business also helps victims’ psychological recovery.

They see themselves as something valuable, as key participants to the local economic development.

Students are also encouraged to submit a business plan to apply for a grant of up to US$2,700 in equipment for their enterprise.

For more information on how to spot modern slavery and to see how the IOM is helping the victims of enslavement, click here

As reported by Malaymail Online

Image: Thomson Reuters Foundation