Vietnam
Protecting children from violence | Social support for families Education, training, entrepreneurship
Pegase Program (4 countries), Phase 2: 2026–2029
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Protecting Child Victims of Trafficking (Pegase)
While the identification and care of child victims of exploitation remain inadequate, Planète Enfants & Développement continues its program to prevent human trafficking and exploitation, protect child victims or those at risk of becoming victims, and support them in their reintegration.
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The context
The phenomenon of human trafficking, especially of children, is largely underestimated in Vietnam.
According to the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report (published by the U.S. Department of State), 500 victims were identified by the Vietnamese government in 2024.
In contrast, UNICEF reports that more than one million children are working, often under dangerous conditions; 72,% are subjected to disciplinary violence at home; and 2.1 million live in multidimensional poverty.
- Local authorities are focusing on international trafficking, even though more than 90 % of the victims remain in the country.
- Identifying forced labor is complex because Vietnamese law allows children over the age of 13 to work three hours a week.
A large proportion of victims are excluded from care mechanisms: migrants, children exploited by their families, children between 16 and 18 years of age.
And for fear of being singled out, victims of human trafficking rarely seek help.
Finally, when children are lucky enough to be identified, the support they are offered rarely allows them to recover and reintegrate into their families or society.
How is your donation used?
For every €100 raised by Planète Enfants & Développement, €86 goes towards our social mission.
Our projects are evaluated by independent firms. And our accounts are audited and certified each year by KPMG.
hours of work per week allowed from 13 years old
million children exploited
child receives support
The project
Starting in 2023, Planète Enfants & Développement has been providing support, care, and social reintegration services for children who are victims of or at risk of exploitation and human trafficking, as well as raising awareness among families about this issue and training partners in Ho Chi Minh City and Phan Thiet.
Since January 2024, these activities have been integrated into PEGASE, a program aimed at strengthening mechanisms for the prevention of and protection against violence—particularly the exploitation and trafficking of children—in four countries in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines, where the partner organization Asmae Soeur Emmanuelle is responsible for implementing the action plan).
The first phase of the program (2023–2026) focused on building resilience among families in extremely precarious situations and improving child safety.
The second phase (2026–2029) is intended to strengthen local ownership and the autonomy of partner organizations.
Building Partners' Skills to Strengthen Families
After working with our partners to adapt our family support methodology to address the issues of internal trafficking and child exploitation, and then training social workers, our goal is now to empower our partner, CSCW, by training them to become trainers of social workers themselves.
In coordination with local authorities, 100 new families are to receive social support for 6 to 10 months between 2026 and 2029, in order to prevent or put an end to situations of violence and child exploitation.
Supporting and reintegrating children and young people at risk or victims of violence
During the first phase of the program, a standard operating procedure (SOP) was developed to define all the steps necessary for identifying and supporting child victims of trafficking and exploitation—from identification through post-reintegration follow-up. Between 2026 and 2029, the goal is to continue providing coaching to social workers at the CTSE (Child Social Work Center) and to expand ownership of the program through a new partner, Thu Duc Youth Village.
As a result, 50 children in care facilities receive individualized, multidisciplinary support tailored to their needs: administrative and legal assistance, psychosocial support, medical and psychological care, and individualized career guidance. Children living in partner shelters or schools participate in group information sessions on various topics related to children’s rights, as well as in “life and soft skills” workshops (social skills and personal development) to improve their skills and facilitate their reintegration.
Social workers also work in coordination with partners and local authorities to identify the families of isolated children and consider their possible reintegration, with a trial period and long-term follow-up.
Promoting children's rights and warning of risks
Throughout the project, we organize workshops with local authorities, partners, service providers, and families (more than 600 people) to raise awareness, ensure a shared understanding of the issue, clarify everyone’s responsibilities, and coordinate our response.
It is essential not only to enlighten families, but also to tackle the causes of poverty to reduce the risks of migration and exploitation.
Other projects :
Vietnam: more quality childcare for young children
Vietnam: Let's fight against violence against women
Vietnam: accompanying families in distress in Ho Chi Minh
" Human trafficking is an extremely lucrative business since a person can be sold several times over a period of years... even though the average person costs only 90 dollars to buy".
Stéphanie Selle, Cambodia Director of Planète Enfants & Développement
Our partners in the field
CSWC: an organization that runs a day center in Phan Thiet for about 100 children and young people aged 6 to 22 who have been or are at risk of being trafficked.
HACRP: An organization dedicated to protecting and promoting children's rights. It provides psychosocial support to vulnerable children and families in Ho Chi Minh City.
The CTSE (Center for Social Work with Children), a public organization that provides shelter, education, and reintegration services to more than 100 street children and youth aged 6 to 16 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Charitable schools and orphanages that take in children without family.