The mountainous region of northern Vietnam is populated with ethnic minority groups such as Hmong, Red Zao, Giao and Tay. These hilltribe ethnic minorities are not part of mainstream Vietnamese and are marginalized in many ways. Social inequality is a driving factor in the exploitation and victimization of trafficking (Barner, 2014). Social determinants that put ethnic minority families in this region at risk include social exclusion, extreme poverty, harsh living conditions, lack of education, undocumented children, a strong cultural practice of early marriage, and community acceptance of bride kidnapping. Due to these social and cultural factors, when young girls or families are promised luxuries of well-paying jobs, jewelry, mobile phones, or wealthy husbands they become easy prey to traffickers.
Purpose: To present a collaborative approach taken to improve global health by combating human trafficking through a global partnership between nursing students studying global health in rural Vietnam and an established social enterprise.
Methods: Undergraduate nursing students and faculty participating in a global health experience in the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam collaborated with a trekking agency/social enterprise organization. This organization employs female trek guides with an aim to encourage economic advancement for these young women. Students and faculty previously partnered with this organization for several years in providing first-aid training and health education to the trek guides. Prior to the in-country global health experience, nursing faculty inquired about health education needs in the local villages. Organization directors and trek guides identified several health issues with human trafficking as a predominant concern for the rural villages of this highland area.
Students researched and prepared educational information on health topics and strategies to combat human trafficking. During the global health experience, students taught the Hmong/English speaking trek guides health education and tactics to reduce human trafficking. Discussions with the trek guides resulted in greater understanding of the problem, in addition to other strategies and personal experiences to enrich the teaching. Nursing students supported trek guides in community-engaged learning as the guides led discussion groups and taught in their own villages and native languages.
Results: Discussion groups were held in community centers and ethnic minority households. Nursing students were able to support trek guides in teaching in various settings and helping young girls, mothers, and village women see the ploys of traffickers. Discussions explored tactics used by traffickers and reasons girls became victims. This was followed by the introduction of strategies and education to reduce the incidence of trafficking and separation of young girls from their families. Local women actively contributed to the dialogues sharing stories and asking questions.
Social determinants were identified as highly influential factors for human trafficking through a victim’s quest to escape poverty and seek economic opportunities. Education of individuals, families and communities is a key factor in combating trafficking and the common ploys used by traffickers to lure young girls and deceive families.
Conclusion: A successful collaboration was established between a social enterprise organization and nursing students in increasing knowledge and awareness about human trafficking. The global connection between the nursing students and trek guides was an effective strategy in strengthening the nursing education of the students and providing education and support to the trek guides as future leaders in their communities. The collaboration was rewarding for both entities - students were able to teach and learn about the culture, and trek guides were able to improve teaching, English-speaking, and leadership skills.
Implications: Human trafficking is a gross violation of human rights and a crime which should be prohibited worldwide (Ronda-Perez, 2016). Due to the highly profitable business of trafficking, exploitation tactics will continue to expand. It is imperative that strategies continue to be identified, modified and employed to combat trafficking and improve safety for ethnic minority girls in highly trafficked areas of rural Vietnam.