Proposal

1. Social business idea

A1. Social mantra one-liner 

• “Ending human trafficking one individual at a time.” 

 

A2. Contributions to UN goals 

• The vision of Blue Phoenix Children’s Foundation is to eliminate human trafficking in Vietnam, ensuring a future where communities are educated, economically self-sufficient, and resilient against the threats of exploitation. This vision aims to foster an environment where everyone, especially children and young adults, can grow and thrive in safety and dignity. 

 

• Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

SDG 1: No Poverty – Blue Phoenix’s strategy includes economic empowerment programs that help families build sustainable livelihoods. Their support for 404 families in starting businesses and providing 557 livestock ensures ongoing economic stability, directly contributing to poverty alleviation. 

SDG 4: Quality Education – By providing educational support, including school supplies and tuition for disadvantaged children, Blue Phoenix helps break the cycle of exploitation. Their efforts ensure that education remains foundational in protecting and empowering youth. 

SDG 5: Gender Equality – Addressing the fact that most victims of trafficking are women and girls, Blue Phoenix’s initiatives also focus on gender-specific vulnerabilities, providing targeted support to empower girls and women, thus promoting gender equality. 

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Blue Phoenix’s vocational training and job placement programs for survivors of trafficking and at-risk youth foster inclusive economic growth and decent work opportunities. These programs are crucial in providing survivors with the skills and opportunities to secure and fair employment. 

 

• Strategic Mission Alignment – to rescue, rehabilitate, and support individuals at risk of or affected by human trafficking—is intricately woven into their vision. Their multifaceted approach, which includes direct intervention, community education, and legal advocacy, aims to address the symptoms and root causes of trafficking, ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable impact. 

Evidence of Potential for Achieving Measurable Results is evident from its sister Blue Dragon Foundation. Blue Dragon’s track record showcases strong evidence of potential for achieving measurable results: 

• Rescue Operations: In 2023 alone, they rescued 191 individuals from trafficking, illustrating effective direct intervention. 
• Educational Impact: They have kept over 1,161 children in school through financial and material support, directly contributing to reducing educational barriers. 
• Economic Initiatives: The establishment of new businesses and provision of livestock have not only improved the immediate economic conditions of families but also built long-term resilience against financial shocks that can lead to exploitation. 

Specific and Convincing Impact Examples 

• Economic Empowerment: Blue Phoenix provided 37 bicycles to children, enabling them to attend school regularly, which is a direct tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing trafficking through improved access to education. 
• Legal Advocacy: Successfully represented 37 trafficking survivors in court, resulting in the conviction and imprisonment of 68 traffickers, demonstrating strong outcomes in legal advocacy and victim support. 
• Community Education: Their training sessions for local officials and community leaders on human trafficking, child labor, and safe migration practices have empowered communities with the knowledge to protect themselves and others from trafficking threats. 

Generally, Blue Phoenix Children’s Foundation exemplifies a comprehensive understanding of the relevant UN SDGs through their targeted initiatives. Their mission aligns seamlessly with their vision of eradicating human trafficking, supported by solid evidence of impactful, sustainable interventions and specific, measurable achievements. 

 

1. ESG preparedness

B1. Target issues 

Problem statement 1: Blue Phoenix, aiming to combat human trafficking in Vietnam, recognizes that potential donors who are concerned about the ongoing human trafficking crisis need to support and participate in comprehensive programs that address prevention and educate communities about the crisis. However, they face challenges in engaging due to a lack of clear communication and transparency about how their contributions directly impact the effectiveness of these initiatives. 

Problem statement 2: Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is overwhelmed by the complexity of various financing strategies to sustain its operation and long-term rescue programs. However, it faces a lack of expertise and resources. 

Blue Phoenix will focus on prevention and education strategies against human trafficking in Vietnam, collaborating with organizations like Blue Dragon, which handles rescue and rehabilitation. This partnership aims to fill gaps in prevention and education, extend the reach of educational programs, and enhance donor engagement to boost funding stability and support Blue Dragon’s anti-trafficking efforts (Blue Dragon, 2022 & 2023). Blue Phoenix can address areas where Blue Dragon has opportunities to extend their initiatives, such as: 

• Limited Awareness and Education: Limited awareness and education about long-term anti-trafficking measures, such as community education, have hindered their effectiveness due to insufficient funding and limited understanding. 
• Inadequate Donor Engagement: The Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation faces challenges in effectively engaging donors, affecting funding for prevention and education programs, and reducing awareness about human trafficking threats. 
• Educational Programs’ Reach and Impact: Blue Dragon’s educational programs, while providing valuable education, have a limited impact, reaching only 0.0002% of Vietnamese people, highlighting the need for more comprehensive and effective campaigns. 

Blue Dragon (2022) 2021-2022 Annual Report, https://www.bluedragon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Blue-Dragon-Annual-Report-2021-2022.pdf, accessed 28 April 2024  

Blue Dragon (2023) Blue Dragon’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals accessed 20 April 2024, https://www.bluedragon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Blue-Dragon-SDGs-report-2023.pdf. 

Blue Phoenix will complement Blue Dragon’s services by implementing strategies to address the human trafficking crisis in Vietnam, including enhancing education, increasing donor engagement, and expanding educational programs. 

• Scale and Scope of the Problem: Blue Phoenix targets the eradication of human trafficking in Vietnam, prioritizing safe environments for vulnerable groups, especially children and young adults. Vietnam confronts a significant human trafficking problem, reporting 1,059 cases in 2023 involving forced labor (67% of 8,000 victims) and sexual exploitation (31%), underscoring the necessity for intervention and support. 
• Stakeholders Affected: Stakeholders affected by the initiatives include vulnerable children, young adults, families in poverty, and women and girls, emphasizing the impact of economic instability and trafficking risks. These groups, particularly those in poverty, are most vulnerable. Community members, local authorities, and international organizations involved in human rights and exploitation prevention are also stakeholders. 
• Community and Market Relevance: The initiatives aim to prevent trafficking in the Vietnamese community by improving economic stability and educational access through economic empowerment, academic support, and legal advocacy. They address human rights issues, particularly youth safety and well-being, emphasizing community-based education, legal advocacy, and economic empowerment to enhance resilience and livelihood options. 

The analysis relies on data from a document on Blue Dragon’s operations, human trafficking cases in Vietnam, and strategies and outcomes, with references from Blue Dragon, global organizations, and research articles: 

International Labour Organization (2020): Global guidelines on the economic reintegration of victims of forced labour through lifelong learning and skills development approaches. Available online: ILO Guidelines. https://webapps.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_emp/—emp_ent/documents/publication/wcms_762716.pdf 

Molisa.gov.vn (2022): Issue of human trafficking in Vietnam. Available online: Molisa Article. https://www.molisa.gov.vn/baiviet/230088?tintucID=230088 

U.S. Department of State (2023): 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report. Available online: 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/ 

 

B2. Root causes 

Human trafficking in Vietnam is a complex issue rooted in socio-economic factors, systemic problems, and educational gaps. Economic instability and poverty are significant drivers, making families vulnerable to exploitation. Blue Phoenix aims to address this by providing economic empowerment programs to help families build sustainable livelihoods. Insufficient awareness about the risks of human trafficking is another issue, with only 0.0002% of the Vietnamese population aware of the signs. Blue Phoenix supports legal advocacy initiatives to ensure traffickers are prosecuted, and victims receive justice. Cultural norms and practices can also contribute to trafficking, necessitating community-based education and national awareness campaigns. Limited donor engagement and funding are challenges faced by anti-trafficking initiatives. 

U.S. Department of State (2023): 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report. Available online: 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/ 

 

B3. Current solution landscape 

Rescue and rehabilitation are essential for victims’ recovery and reintegration, but they are resource-intensive and not consistently effective. Legal advocacy and policy change aims to strengthen and enforce laws but can be slow and challenging. Education and awareness campaigns can increase awareness but may not immediately reduce trafficking numbers. Economic empowerment provides livelihood opportunities but requires significant investments and can take time to show results. Technological solutions, such as apps, can reach broad audiences but may be challenging to maintain and user-friendly. The increasing complexity of trafficking networks, globalization, public awareness, and technological advancements drive the need for new solutions. The dynamic nature of human trafficking, varying success rates, and the evolution of traffickers’ methods all contribute to the need for new solutions. Worldwide, many applied solutions utilize technology and internet presence to educate and inform communities to help prevent trafficking and to fund resource-intensive efforts to end trafficking.  

https://sharedhope.org/what-we-do/prevent/training/ 

https://stopthetraffik.org/what-we-do/the-stop-app/ 

 

 

B4. Solution to implement 

Blue Phoenix’s strategy combines economic empowerment, legal advocacy, community education, and technological innovations to combat human trafficking, focusing on vulnerable populations like children and young adults. The proposed solutions for trafficking in persons face financial volatility, cultural barriers, technological challenges, and legal constraints. However, we build on Blue Dragon’s successful track record and align with global standards like the United Nations’ SDGs. Still, challenges include cultural resistance, technological exclusion for less tech-savvy or poor populations and maintaining data privacy and security. There are success stories of education and apps and internet presence with a record in funding and education success stories. Specific solutions to implement immediately are: 

• Educational Programs: Blue Phoenix will provide a comprehensive suite of training programs to equip professionals and advocates with the necessary skills to combat trafficking effectively. These offerings will include online courses, live webinars, in-person sessions, and extensive training materials such as manuals, videos, and toolkits for organizing training events. Additionally, the organization will host academic conferences featuring a variety of presentations and workshops, all designed to enhance the participants’ ability to identify and respond to trafficking scenarios. Blue Phoenix will also offer educational programs like school supplies and tuition assistance to help break the cycle of exploitation and equip at-risk youth with knowledge and skills, addressing SDG 4 (Quality Education).  
• Technological Solutions: An App featuring community alerts, victim support, and donor engagement aims to enhance the accessibility and impact of initiatives by providing more information and assistance. 

 

B5. Solution uniqueness 

Blue Phoenix is implementing innovative training programs and technological solutions to combat human trafficking in Vietnam, aiming to enhance individual impact and systemic changes for long-term improvements despite challenges like cultural resistance and data privacy. 

 

Uniquely adapted solution: Blue Phoenix’s Vietnam-specific strategy combats human trafficking through economic empowerment, legal advocacy, community education, and technological innovations, targeting vulnerable populations like children and young adults. 

Newness in the Community: Blue Phoenix’s international strategy, integrating technology with traditional advocacy and education methods, is unique in its Vietnamese context, emphasizing the integration of young populations. 

Improved Solutions: Blue Phoenix will implement a new strategy integrating traditional prevention and rescue methods with advanced technological tools, promoting holistic solutions. 

 

1. Stakeholder engagement

C1. Engagement strategy 

Utilize multi-channel communication strategies, highlight project success stories, and foster a sense of community to communicate and engage stakeholders effectively. 

• Larger Vietnam Population: Needs education on human trafficking risks, access to preventive resources, and assurance of safety. 

• Engage vulnerable populations by implementing education campaigns, providing trafficking prevention resources, and involving the community in awareness activities using mass media, social media, and public service announcements. 

• Donors and Sponsors: Need transparency on how contributions impact anti-trafficking efforts and assurance of effective use of funds. 

• Engage with financial support for sustaining and scaling initiatives, providing regular updates, detailed reports, and success stories, and using newsletters, reports, and personalized communication to maintain transparency and build trust. 

• RMIT University: Expects the project to align with their values and demonstrate potential for impactful social change. 

• Engage with RMIT’s endorsement and resources to align project goals with mission and values, demonstrating potential social impact through compelling communication strategies and formal proposals. 

• Local Community Leaders: Require clear communication on the project’s benefits and involvement in educational programs. 

• Engage community members in educational programs, gaining trust and participation. Utilize communication strategies like community meetings, informative materials, and success stories to showcase positive impact. 

 

C2. Social support campaign performance 

Blue Phoenix intends to secure support from individual student members’ families and RMIT University once the project wins the SBC competition, thereby gaining legitimacy. 

Blue Phoenix has received backing (we will attach letters and emails in due course) from student team members’ families pledging moral and financial support, confirmation letters from local community leaders endorsing the project, and an official letter from RMIT University promising resources and recognition upon winning the SBC competition.  

 

1. Learning curve

Fieldwork Insights  

Key Lessons Learned: The project emphasizes the importance of community engagement in addressing human trafficking that needs holistic support, including economic empowerment, education, and legal advocacy. Tailoring education and technology programs to specific community needs enhances their impact and allows for transparency, which builds trust with donors and stakeholders. The proposal stresses the benefits of education, economic stability, and collaboration and incorporates improvement strategies that include increased community involvement, integrated support programs, tailored initiatives, and transparent communication. These strategies ultimately reduce trafficking, promote economic stability, and reduce vulnerability. 

Evidence of Learning Process: The learning process involves community feedback, donor reports, and collaborative workshops. The mindset shifts from viewing trafficking as a criminal issue to a socio-economic problem, increased collaboration with local communities, and a multifaceted approach combining education, economic empowerment, and legal advocacy with transparent communication to stakeholders.

PRESENTATION PITCHING