Escape from Labor Exploitation and the Path to Recovery: A Survivor’s Story of Assistance in the Poltava Region

With the support of specialists from the Charitable Organization “Light of Hope” — a member organization of the Public Union “Counter–Trafficking NGO Coalition” — he received the necessary assistance and is gradually rebuilding his life.

He went to work to earn money for a living. Instead, he found himself without documents, without a phone, under guard, and forced to perform exhausting labor every day without payment.

This is a real story of labor exploitation that happened to a man from the Poltava region. Names and some details have been changed for confidentiality reasons.

In the context of the war in Ukraine, many people have found themselves in vulnerable situations — having lost their jobs, stable income, and opportunities for employment. Such circumstances are often exploited by traffickers.

A 49-year-old man with a disability agreed to a job offer at a farm with a promised salary of 25,000 hryvnias. Instead of the promised employment, he found himself in a situation of actual exploitation: hard physical labor without payment, no contact with the outside world, and constant surveillance.

At the end of August 2024, he and another worker managed to escape at night. A concerned truck driver helped them reach the Poltava region and return home.

After returning, the man was exhausted and needed assistance. At that moment, the team of the Charitable Organization “Light of Hope” joined to provide support. The organization’s specialists delivered comprehensive assistance: a mobile phone to maintain contact with doctors and social services, clothing, food, hygiene items, essential household goods, and psychological support.

This story is a reminder that in the context of war, the risks of labor exploitation and human trafficking increase. That is why timely support for survivors, access to assistance, and the work of specialized organizations are critically important.

The team of the Charitable Organization “Light of Hope” continues to work in the Poltava region, helping people who have survived human trafficking and exploitation take a step toward a safe and dignified life.

The Charitable Organization “Light of Hope” is a member organization of the Public Union “Counter–Trafficking NGO Coalition.” The Coalition brings together civil society organizations from different regions of Ukraine that work in the fields of human trafficking prevention, support for survivors, and strengthening the system for protecting their rights.

If you or your relatives believe that you may have experienced human trafficking or found yourself in a situation of exploitation, it is important to seek assistance.

Support is also available through the National Hotline on Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Counseling — 527 (free of charge from mobile phones in Ukraine).

In addition, online consultation is available through the anti-trafficking chatbot operating on the website www.stoptrafficking.org