KULOB, February 10, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The Kulob public association, Mayram, yesterday handed over sewing machines to five victims of human trafficking.

The Mayram chairperson Mahbouba Sharipova says the sewing machines were handed over to them as part of the bondage prevention program that is being implemented by Mayram in the area under financial support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Mission in Tajikistan.

“Since the program was launched, we have revealed 124 local residents, primarily women, who left Tajikistan against their own free will and 22 of them have been recognized as slave trade victims,” Sharipova told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According her, 17 victims of human trafficking have undergone a rehabilitation course at the republican rehabilitation center and three others have been sent to take various vocational training course.

According to information posted on the IOM Tajikistan website, it operates two shelters for victims of trafficking.  In 2005, IOM opened the Dushanbe Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking with the support of the US Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). Several months later, IOM opened a shelter in Khujand which caters specifically to the needs of minor victims of trafficking, operated with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Since 2005, the Dushanbe shelter has provided return, rehabilitation and reintegration assistance to 156 VoTs, and the Khujand shelter has provided for the needs of 64 minor victims.