Responding to crisis
Whether it’s rescue from slavery or caring for a homeless child, Blue Dragon is here when children and families need us most.
Rescue
Blue Dragon responds to calls for help from people who have been trafficked and enslaved.
While our work is child-oriented, we do not set age limits for the people we will rescue from slavery. Our rescues are non-combative and we do not pay the traffickers; rather, we find safe ways to set people free and get them home.
Our rescue operations focus on Vietnamese people within Vietnam and nearby countries. Most rescues are of people in sexual slavery or forced labour, including forced online scamming.
Once people are safe, we reunite them with their families, when possible, and continue helping through the healing process. Read here how we assist survivors of trafficking.
Street outreach
Street-connected children and youth are highly vulnerable to exploitation, including sexual abuse, forced labour and human trafficking. Early interventions to get them to safety are highly effective and at a much lower cost compared to resolving the trauma and harm that happens on the streets.
Blue Dragon works day and night on the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, reaching out to children and families sleeping rough. We offer immediate care, including food, emergency shelter and counselling. Over time we provide the support they need to take control of their lives.
Social work and psychology services
Blue Dragon provides in-house social work and psychology services for victims of exploitation and trafficking to help them heal from trauma. Alongside our direct service, we train social workers and psychologists from other agencies to increase Vietnam’s overall capacity.
Our services range from individual, group and family counselling, to practical assistance, shelter, training and financial support.
Direct welfare
Blue Dragon provides welfare assistance tailored to individual need. Our support can include emergency shelter, cash, food and building houses.
We make this assistance available flexibly to children and families experiencing all kinds of crisis, including the months following rescue from slavery and when children are escaping abuse. As well as helping families through times of crisis, targeted welfare reduces the risk of people being further exploited and trafficked.
Disaster relief
When typhoons, floods and landslides happen, children and families who were already living in poverty suffer the most.
From disasters fueled by climate-change to global pandemics, Blue Dragon provides emergency assistance through times of crisis. In the months and years that follow, we assist communities as they recover. This is vital for children’s well-being and keeps them safe from increased vulnerability to human trafficking.
Legal representation
Blue Dragon offers legal representation for victims of child sexual assault, human trafficking and children in conflict with the law, helping them achieve justice while improving the justice system so it works better for all.
Achieving justice is an important part of healing for victims of trafficking, providing verification that a crime was committed against the person so they may be free of guilt and self-blame.
The prosecution of traffickers takes criminals out of operation and increases the ‘costs’ of trafficking, thus acting as a disincentive for potential traffickers.
Blue Dragon rescues children and families from crisis. We offer urgently needed support as the first step toward healing.
When I set foot back on Vietnamese soil, I was so happy. Then when I got to the accommodation and was greeted by the staff, seeing Vietnamese people in my own country again made me certain I would really survive and be reunited with my family. I will never, ever forget that moment.
I’m deeply grateful to Blue Dragon for rescuing me. Without their help, I don’t think I would be alive today and probably would never have seen my family again. Family is the most important thing in the world. It might be difficult sometimes, but as long as everyone is together and healthy, you will get through it.
