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Creative Associates Grantee Honored by Secretary of State Clinton

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Washington, DC, Junho 16, 2009—A Creative Associates International, Inc.. grantee, Vera Lesko of the Vatra Center in Albania, was honored today by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton upon the release of the State Department’s 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report.

EM. Lesko, a pioneer in the fight against human trafficking in Albania, was one of nine Trafficking In Persons Heroes recognized by the Secretary of State.

Charito Kruvant, Presidente e CEO da Creative, disse “Vera is a truly courageous leader. Her leadership, commitment to excellence and caring have made a genuine difference in the lives of women and girls who are victims or targets of human trafficking crimes.”

Secretary of State Clinton underscored that “The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States.” The Vatra Center is the first organization in Albania to work with human trafficking victims. EM. Lesko was honored in 2003 for her innovative work in Albania with Anti-Slavery International’s Anti-Slavery Award.

Creative began supporting Ms. Lesko’s work in 2004 under a USAID-funded project awarded through a competitive procurement. A Iniciativa da Albânia: Ação Coordenada Contra o Tráfico de Seres Humanos (CAAHT) has funded 22 local organizations to implement more than 40 projects combating trafficking of Albanian women and children. EM. Lesko’s work began in Vlora, a city of 60,000 in southwest Albania and a major gateway for traffickers who ferry their victims to Italian ports. Depois de conduzir 500 entrevistas com políticos, representantes comunitários e meninas traficadas, EM. Lesko chegou à surpreendente conclusão de que o tráfico de seres humanos era amplamente praticado em Vlora. She began working to support otherwise isolated victims of trafficking directly. On one occasion, a local trafficker she reported to the police followed her home, threatening to traffic Ms. Lesko’s own daughter unless she dropped her allegations.

Criativos associados internacionais, Inc., a minority and women-owned firm, is committed to being of service to the U.S. Government and is appreciative of the opportunity to support the initiatives and leadership of Vera Lesko’s Vatra Center and the nearly two dozen organizations helping women and children in Albania.

After receiving her award from Secretary of State, EM. Lesko said, “I felt like crying. It is 12-years and literally my work and blood,and this represents a crowning achievement.”

For more information about the CAAHT project, contact Sylvia Ellison at [email protected].

Clique aqui to view the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report.

Clique aqui for video of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report release.

Clique aqui for Secretary Clinton’s Washington Post article.

Clique aqui to view Video Postcards on the Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking initiative.[/vc_column_text][/vc_coluna][largura da coluna_vc=”1/12″][/vc_coluna][largura da coluna_vc=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar barra lateral_id=”barra lateral primária”][/vc_coluna][/vc_row]