ASK works rigorously towards the betterment and upliftment of the marginalised and vulnerable communities, aiming at their overall social economic development. While working directly with such groups in different parts of the country, ASK identified major issues, vulnerabilities and challenges amongst such communities who are in the process of gaining better livelihood and income have become part of the ‘labour mobility’ and the workforce ‘at risk’ facing many forms of exploitation and abuse. In recent times, we look at labour migration occurring domestically or internationally across different sectors of work which pose a serious challenge and threat for the communities who are still migrating, planning to migrate, their families, their employers, the non-governmental bodies, CBOs and the government, for ensuring their safe movement. The current migrant force, majority are uneducated and unaware of the risks involved in migration, the processes and steps involved in safe migration, etc. This drives them into serious risks and problems such as; human trafficking, loss of money, cheating/frauds by illegal recruiters, exploitation by their employers, unfair wage practices and working conditions, etc

At ASK, we are thus looking at the overarching ‘migration’ theme as an opportunity to dive deep into the issues pertaining to it and hence aim at creating approach of “capacity building, stakeholder engagement for lowering the risks of the migrant workforces” and “creating an enabling environment to work and promote safe migration within India and abroad”.

To work with key focus, we have adopted multi-pronged strategies which are:

  • Building community focussed and participatory engagements
  • Ensuring safe labour mobility through multi-stakeholder engagement
  • Building knowledge and capacities of the grassroots level organisations (key implementing actors) who are working directly/indirectly with the migrant communities through their on-going programs
  • Providing on-going capacity building for in-field facilitation of focussed projects, to address the key issues faced by the migrant communities and developing strategies to lower such risks
  • Providing strategic support and guidance to the organisations who are willing to work on the theme of migration

Key Projects

Project Name: Building a Safe Migration Ecosystem in source communities 

Supported by: NORAD

Location: Bihar and Uttar Pradesh 

In Partnership with: Global Fund to Eliminate Modern Slavery (GFEMS)

 

The project is expected to work with approximately 10,000 overseas migrants and their families in two-year time along with other relevant stakeholders. The focus of the project is to build a safe labour migration ecosystem in source communities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The intended 6-pillar model is to be focused on working with aspiring, in-service and returnee overseas migrant workers along with the partner organisations in Bihar and UP

KEY ACTIVITIES

In collaboration with Global Fund to End Modern Slavery and Norad, Association for Stimulating Know-how – ASK India initiated a district campaign in 9 blocks of Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The objective of this campaign is to raise awareness in the community about the process of safe migration, the risks associated with it, and the circumstances of forced labor, among other things.

 

The district was launched by Mr. S. Rajlingam, District Magistrate, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The campaign had various community awareness activities such as bike rally, signature campaign, community meetings, and others.