We have had the privilege of building relationships with amazing, dedicated individuals in various countries who have established shelters and rehabilitation centers under Talita’s auspices.
When Talita was founded in 2004, we could only offer trauma therapy and, eventually, education as well; but in 2012, we opened our shelter, and since then we have offered our target group both short-term emergency shelter and a one-year rehabilitation program. Most of the women who come to us are referred by the police and social services as part of their outreach work.
Villa Talita is located in a quiet area, close to green spaces. The house has an inviting garden and consists of five rooms and a kitchen. There is room for four women at a time. We also have transitional apartments that allow us to extend the program by an additional year.
In Mongolia, our Mongolian staff members established a local Talita organization in 2013. Prior to that, there was no NGO or government agency in the country offering long-term support and rehabilitation in safe housing for this target group, despite the fact that human trafficking and prostitution are major problems in the country. Children are trafficked from Mongolia to China, where they are forced into human trafficking, and young women who move to the big city in search of work end up in prostitution.
Talita Mongolia remains unique in the country, and they are the first organization to be granted a license to work with children who have been subjected to sexual exploitation. Talita Mongolia operates both a shelter and a drop-in center where they apply the Talita method. The work is funded by Talita in Sweden.
Romania is one of the most common countries of origin for prostitution and human trafficking in Europe. There are several non-profit organizations in the country that work to combat human trafficking for sexual exploitation and assist those at risk. It was therefore natural for us to seek out an existing local organization when the idea of launching an initiative in Romania came up.
A survey (Breaking Free) of existing organizations in the country led to a collaboration between Talita and FREE, which not only assists women who have been exploited in human trafficking but also those exploited in domestic prostitution, at strip clubs, and on the streets. Since 2017, FREE has been operating the Casa Talita/House on the Rock shelter, which applies the Talita method and is funded by Talita Sweden.
In 2019, we connected with four amazing women in Nairobi, Kenya, who were working day and night to rescue young women being exploited in the sex trade in the city’s slums. Together with their organization Maisha (which means “Life”), we founded the shelter “Maisha Talita,” which offers protection and rehabilitation for girls. We also run a center in Nairobi’s slums for young mothers who need help leaving the sex trade.
When a girl is found in a brothel or engaged in street prostitution by the police, the chance that she will be taken to a safe place where she can receive help and support is minimal. Society, after all, believes she has only herself to blame. We wanted to change this, and today our colleagues help 10–15 girls and women every year break free from the sex industry and start a new life.
In the Philippines, there is an enormous need for help among children and young people who are exploited in prostitution. They are almost always street children, and rarely do they have a relative or anyone else who cares for them. In 2021, Talita launched a project on the island of Cebu with the aim of helping children exploited in the sex trade.
Since then, our colleagues have been running Talita centers that focus on providing shelter, food, education, and rehabilitation to children and adolescents. The goal is to open a safe house with Talita’s rehabilitation program in the future, when resources are available, but already now, 10–15 children receive comprehensive support each year at the center, and in addition, we reach about 80 children through preventive efforts in our outreach work.
Colombia is a country facing major challenges. The gap between rich and poor is among the widest in the world. In recent years, human trafficking from Colombia to Sweden has increased sharply, and many of the women come from the city of Medellín. Medellín was previously known for its extremely high murder rates and drug trafficking, but thanks to the authorities’ fight against crime, it has been transformed into an attractive tourist destination. However, tourism brings other problems—such as an increased demand for sex.
In the spring of 2024, Swedish police and social services referred two Colombian women to Villa Talita. They had been exploited in prostitution here in Sweden and longed for a different life. After completing their rehabilitation, they returned to their home country with a strong vision to start Talita. A year later, we visited them and our partner, the Ankar Foundation, and today we have an entire team of staff who together run Talita Colombia in Medellín.
