Harnessing the Private Sector as a Force For Good

Council on Foreign Relations Blog, October 21, 2020

An October 2020 Council on Foreign Relations blog, “Revitalizing Human Trafficking Policy Twenty Years In,” highlights the work of The Market Project to harness the power of the marketplace, meet needs of local communities, and teach trafficking survivors transferrable skills.  

Authors Olivia Enos and Mark Lagon write, 

“Civil society is key to overcoming trafficking…. One organization, The Market Project, provides opportunities to survivors of trauma to become a part of fully operational, market-based businesses and equips them with skills that offer survivors hope and a future.” 

Consistent with the recommendations by Enos and Lagon, The Market Project seeks to work in partnership with the business community, as well as civic and faith actors, “toward advancing universal values of dignity and equality.” 

Listening to the voices of survivors

Listening to the voices of survivors and learning from their insights is highly valued at The Market Project. We will continue to learn from survivors as we seek to create stable jobs in a supportive workplace. 

The vision of The Market Project is to see men and women find hope and flourish through safe, dignity-affirming and healing work. 

Here is the excerpt from the CFR blog that highlights The Market Project:  

“One organization, The Market Project, provides opportunities to survivors of trauma to become a part of fully operational, market-based businesses and equips them with skills that offer survivors hope and a future. The Market Project started Nguvu Dairy in Uganda, a frozen yogurt business that meets the demand for a product in the local community, while employing survivors of exploitation in a trauma-informed workplace. Because the business meets a market need of that community, it is profitable largely apart from philanthropy and helps teach survivors transferable skills, like how to run a business. This organization reminds us that civil society can harness the private sector as a non-government force for good, and not just a witting or unwitting enabler of trafficking.”  

Link to the entire CFR article: 

Revitalizing Human Trafficking Policy Twenty Years In | Council on Foreign Relations