Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT)

In February 2003, USAID/Albania held an anti-trafficking workshop to bring together international and local organizations, practitioners, and policy makers involved in combating trafficking and assisting victims. The workshop provided an opportunity to share experiences and identify best practices in prevention and the reintegration of children, women and girls, develop strategies to improve information management, and identify research needs. USAID used the resulting recommendations to help develop the Albanian Initiative: Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT) program, which is being implemented by Creative Associates International. The CAAHT program, publicly launched in May 2004, is the largest anti-trafficking of women and children program at USAID. CAAHT aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society to provide services to victims of trafficking with a focus on prevention, reintegration, coordination, and NGO capacity building. The project's objectives include: strengthening the ability of the Albanian community leaders, NGOs, and the Government of Albania (GoA) to improve programs that decrease trafficking in human beings and improve and expand services that reintegrate victims into their communities and reduce re-trafficking; increasing and improving coordination among NGOs, international organizations, and the GoA's anti-trafficking efforts; creating a centralized national database to maintain and consolidate data while monitoring new trends and information on trafficking in Albania; and awarding grants to support the prevention, victim reintegration, and capacity building activities of local and international NGOs and other organizations working to better assist Albania's anti-trafficking efforts.

Anti-trafficking Shelters

In 2002, USAID/Albania supported shelters for victims of trafficking. Designed for Albanians or third-country nationals transiting Albania, the shelters accommodated more than 260 women and girls. The interventions at the centers were long-term in nature, designed to help victims reintegrate into society. While in the shelters, the women and girls received medical care, psycho-social counseling, and social services, as well as vocational training for women interested in returning to the workforce and education for children. During the reintegration process, USAID and other donors, NGOs, and the public sector worked to establish a reintegration support network. Services ranged from care and support to protection to access to legal services for victims choosing to prosecute their traffickers.

Albania's Program Objectives

SELECTED ACTIVITIES:

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