Eleison is happy to announce the launch of our ninth cohort of the Barug program, a 2-year economic empowerment program for survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence (GBV) and their family members in the Philippines. The recent Barug cohort commenced in September with six survivors. Barug means “to strongly stand up” in Cebuano, representing how the program supports survivors in developing greater financial security.
Barug utilizes a three-pronged approach:
- A matched savings program. For each peso that participants save during the program, Eleison matches their savings at a 1:1 ratio. The matched funds can be used for specific purposes, including education, medical care, family and personal emergencies, housing repair, and employment-related expenses.
- A financial literacy training (FLT) course. This skills-building course covers savings, budgeting, debt management, financial negotiation with family members and peers, and emotional wellness and self-care. FLT sessions include a combination of group-based peer learning activities and individualized learning sessions with Eleison staff.
- Individual and peer support sessions. Individual support sessions provide survivors an opportunity to revisit their goals, discuss progress toward achieving goals, celebrate successes, and brainstorm solutions. Group-based support sessions give participants the opportunity to share about their respective successes and challenges in achieving their goals, learn from their peers, and experience a supportive peer community.
Human trafficking survivors commonly experience significant financial difficulties such as a lack of access to employment, insufficient savings, burdensome debt, and considerable familial pressures. There are, however, few economic empowerment programs for survivors that are evidence-based and holistic. Although some organizations provide economic interventions for survivors, most programs do not include asset building or financial counseling. Barug is a holistic, survivor-centered, and evidence-based program that acknowledges the inextricable link between financial and emotional wellness and supports survivors in achieving their own financial goals.
Past Barug participants have emphasized the importance of Barug’s emotionally supportive environment, debt relief assistance, financial literacy education, and asset development support. Our prior quantitative and qualitative research has found that Barug has allowed many survivors to build savings, escape debt, and emotionally benefit from the program’s support. For example, our recent evaluation found that 70% of survivors had savings after Barug compared to 30% of survivors with savings prior to Barug. A previous participant stated: “Because of Barug, I was able to save money for emergencies. I thought before that I couldn’t save because I had a lot of debts. Because when you have a lot of debts, it will cause you headaches, and emotional distress. Now, it’s better. If you know how to budget and negotiate [with other people about money], the stress will be minimized.”
To find out more about Barug, you can read our prior research on Barug or donate here.
