Kranti Tamang is a 21-year-old activist currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in social work. Kranti is the daughter of a victim of sex trafficking living with HIV; in 1996, her mother, along with 500 girls and women, was rescued from an Indian brothel. Kranti and her mother have transformed their trauma into a commitment to work on human trafficking. Kranti works to draw attention to the needs of many women who lack the education, confidence, and technical competencies necessary to avoid or overcome victimization. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Mythbusters: Shedding Light on Trafficking in Nepal 

The project tackles the prevalent myths surrounding trafficking in Nepal and provides information to the public through an engaging audio-visual approach. In collaboration with a diverse group of experts, including survivors of trafficking, representatives from government bodies, development partners, media professionals, and civil society organizations, the project will identify five major misconceptions about trafficking and produce a series of videos addressing them. The videos will be widely disseminated, institutionalized through partnerships with key organizations, and promoted via strategic locations and social media platforms. By fostering increased awareness and understanding, the project will empower individuals to accurately recognize and report trafficking crimes, ultimately contributing to the prevention and prosecution of trafficking and creating a more supportive environment for victims. 

To kick off the project, Kranti gathered 10 experts on human trafficking prevention for a consultation meeting to refine the myths and facts for the five upcoming videos. Kranti also finalized the selection of the film and editing crew for the video production. Notably, public figures Priyanka Karki and Prakash Saput will participate in the videos to enhance their visibility. The next stage of the project involves filming and editing of the videos, set to begin immediately after the Dashain break. Once completed, the videos will be distributed on social media and displayed in airports and buses around Kathmandu, to maximize viewership.

"Despite continuous education and outreach efforts, the evolving landscape of trafficking, coupled with informational disparities, presents significant obstacles in identification, protection, prosecution, and partnership. With the IVLP Impact Award Project, I aim to address these longstanding challenges in combating trafficking by dispelling key myths so that individuals can recognize trafficking and act against it.” - Kranti Tamang 

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Kranti participated in the IVLP Project Combating Trafficking in Persons, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, in partnership with Columbia Council for Internationals, Global Ties Kalamazoo, Global Ties KC, Global Ties Miami, Global Ties San Fransisco, and World Affairs Council of St. Louis.  

Kranti’s exchange experience led to the development of her project: “While on my IVLP trip, I met with the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the United States. I learned about several innovative initiatives... I am inspired by the Negative Imagery approach to breaking TIP-related myths using social media imagery. I found it powerful, including an example where the organization challenged the common perception of trafficking by moving beyond images that solely depict girls' or women's hands chained. Instead, it uses visuals like an open farm to illustrate that trafficking can occur in agricultural spaces as well. This approach offers people a broader understanding of TIP beyond sexual exploitation. Inspired by the essence of this approach, I plan my project to focus on dispelling myths and presenting facts related to trafficking that people can relate to in their everyday lives...”

“My IVLP journey reignited my inner drive to contribute to a world free from slavery, stigma and discrimination and emphasized the importance of taking a proactive approach in dispelling myths surrounding trafficking that often play a significant role in building misconception and barriers for reporting.” - Kranti Tamang  

U.S. Communities Visited

San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Miami, FL; Kalamazoo, MI; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis MO; Columbia, SC 

Country: Nepal

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