Asel’s Story: Survivor of Trafficking

Asel*, 31, is a mother of three children. Asel's husband began to drink, so to feed her family, she needed to find a job.

Asel accepted an offer to go to Turkey from a recruiter whom she knew. Her mother agreed to look after Asel's children, despite her unstable health. The recruiter covered Asel's travel expenses and visa costs. Asel started working in a small cafe in Turkey. The first month of her work was difficult because she worked 17-18 hours a day, seven days a week. She was told that the first month was an internship and was not paid.

After four months of unpaid work, Asel was fired. She did not earn money and got sick. But with the support of her relatives, Asel was able to return home. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with an international service organization, provided Asel with a sewing machine and financial support.

Today, Asel lives with her children and mother in Talas. She can cover her daily expenses and send her three children to school.

The Dignity and Rights project helps victims of trafficking to reintegrate into their community by providing small grants for starting a business and covering basic daily expenses. Thanks to this initiative, people can stay in Kyrgyzstan - they no longer need to search for work in other countries.

In the framework of the USAID Dignity and Rights project, 2,245 victims of human trafficking received assistance, one of them being Asel.
 

*Name has been changed for security reasons