Beeline Reader
In May 2024, MIT Solve collaborated with the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation and The Anti-Slavery Collective to launch the Supporting Survivors of Modern Slavery Challenge. The challenge invited innovators from around the world to submit solutions that support individuals who have survived modern slavery, recognizing the complex needs of those rebuilding their lives after exploitation.
According to Walk Free and the International Labour Organization, there are an estimated 50 million individuals currently trapped in various forms of modern slavery, with women and children bearing a disproportionate burden of the crisis. Survivors can face a myriad of obstacles on their path to recovery and reintegration. These challenges range from social isolation and lack of official documentation to difficulties accessing financial services, housing, and meaningful employment opportunities.
"We believe that ethically designed and deployed artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool in supporting survivors of modern slavery. By harnessing AI's capabilities, we can create more efficient, scalable solutions that have a real impact on survivors' lives." – John Schultz, Executive Vice President and COO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
The Supporting Survivors of Modern Slavery Challenge is rooted in the conviction that technology can revolutionize support services for survivors. When developed with ethical considerations and survivor input at the forefront, these technologies can streamline processes, uncover valuable insights from data, and ultimately drive more effective solutions to this complex global issue.
While technology has the potential to aid in this fight, there is a significant gap in support for scalable, tech-focused solutions and organizations providing critical services to survivors. This challenge seeks to address this gap by identifying and nurturing promising innovations and supporting inspirational leaders.
"Technology alone isn't enough. We need a holistic approach that combines innovative tech solutions with compassionate, survivor-centered approaches. This challenge aims to bridge that gap by advancing and supporting practical solutions that have a meaningful impact on the lives of survivors." - HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Co-Founder, The Anti-Slavery Collective
From a pool of over 75 applicants, we are pleased to announce the five groundbreaking solutions that have been selected as this year’s winners.
Grand prize winners:
Golden Dreams – Golden Dreams reduces exploitative recruitment, forced labor, and human trafficking with technology to transform recruitment channels and the power and information asymmetries that put migrants and survivors at risk. The Yelp-like smartphone app, designed by and for workers and survivors, provides a safe way for vulnerable migrant workers to access and apply for jobs, matching users to information and service providers.
EverFree’s Freedom Lifemap – The Freedom Lifemap is a tech-based model built by survivors for survivors with the survivor experience at its heart. With limited resources available to support survivors, many receive no services to aid in their recovery; among those who do receive services, re-exploitation is all too common. Freedom Lifemap offers an assessment and evaluation tool that enables them to measure long-term outcomes, connect survivors with individualized support, reduce vulnerabilities, and enhance access to programs to improve outcomes for survivors.
Runner-up winners:
HT Fusion Center – HT Fusion Center deploys a comprehensive, technology-driven solution that ensures a more effective and equitable response to human trafficking. The criminal justice system in the United States faces significant challenges in effectively investigating, prosecuting, and enforcing laws against human trafficking. HT Fusion Center leverages a solution using smart, trauma-informed human trafficking intelligence to deliver meaningful improvements to enhance victim protection, improve investigative and prosecutorial practices, and strengthen coordination and policy development.
ALIGHT: Mobilizing Justice – ALIGHT leverages innovative, mobile technology to increase access to justice for survivors of human trafficking who are often left to deal with legal issues on their own. Their solution creates a fast, safe, and survivor-centric model that bridges the gap between survivors facing legal challenges and the attorneys qualified and available to provide free, specialized, and comprehensive legal services to support survivors’ recovery.
Story Mobile App – Story Mobile is a behavioural health app specifically developed for survivors that facilitates trauma recovery and secure documentation. Psychological trauma, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, complicates survivors’ ability to articulate their experiences clearly and seek justice. Story Mobile offers a safe, secure, and user-friendly environment for survivors to document their experiences, manage PTSD symptoms, and make sense of their trauma.
These five nonprofit organizations will receive funding from a pool of $300,000, as well as access to a network of support and expertise. This approach recognizes that lasting change requires more than individual solutions; it requires a thriving ecosystem of innovators united by a common purpose.
Watch the winner announcement here and learn more about the winners’ impactful work here. Together, we can combat modern slavery and create a future where every survivor has access to the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives and thrive.