Next scheduled trek - June 12-24 2012

A harsh reality in this world is that child and human trafficking are real and pertinent issues facing millions of people each day. In an effort to fight this social taboo in Thailand, the need to raise awareness is essential, in turn helping to cease the spread of human trafficking whilst providing support to those who have fallen victim to the trade as well as creating a better future for children at risk.

Documenting the trade and those affected by it photographically, is a vital tool to allow ordinary people, far removed from Thailand and the situation at hand to get a visual taste of this unseen world. To do this, the project needs more keen and committed photographers to devote their time, skills and dedication to documenting the hill tribes of northern Thailand – helping to create real change in the lives of victims and those at risk of human trafficking.

Providing child victims and those at threat from human trafficking with a network of support and hope for a positive future, is what this project achieves through photography. All of the profits from the photographs taken during the expedition are channelled into a shelter which provides support to victims of human trafficking as well as helping to raise awareness in the greater hill tribes of alternative methods of income rather than them having to resort to selling their children into the trade.

Previous images taken while in these communities depict women and children residing in poverty, trapped and vulnerable to abuse and trafficking rings; those who are victims and disempowered – restricted from their right to freedom; and those who have found shelter, learning to trust and give themselves wholly to be part of a loving and supportive community. It is this cycle that needs to be documented, this cycle that needs to be broken at stage one, so the children and victims never have to be rescued, this cycle that needs your camera and you pair of eyes.

Key Course Features

• Cost: £1435 ($2511) for 10 days, £1785 ($3124) for 15 days
• Duration: 10-15 days (with 2 extra nights at the beginning of the projects for your orientation in Bangkok)
• Requirements: age 18+
• Location: Rural areas surrounding Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Project activities: 2 days of workshops; one at the beginning of the course and one at the end. The rest of the time is spent in the rural villages taking pictures of hill-tribes

What is included

• Accommodation: Single or shared room in a home-stay whilst on the expedition and at volunteer rooms in a human trafficking centre
• Airport pick up in Bangkok
• Transfer to Chiang Mai
• Training: Pre-departure information pack and onsite orientation provided
• Support: 24 hour support from on-site coordinator

What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas

Course Start Dates

Course starts on various dates throughout the year. If you are interested in taking part in the course then please contact one of advisors to check when the next course is running.

The project visits a number of rural areas around the city of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is considered to be Thailand's second most important city and one of its largest. Despite this, it remains a tenth of the size of Bangkok, with an estimated 400,000 people living in the greater urban area of the city. Eighty percent of the local population is 'Khon Muang' (Northern folk) and they speak a slightly different dialect to the central Thai language.

Chiang Mai, founded in 1296, is constructed as a square with a moat to mark its boundaries and safeguard the people within with a bastion at each corner. Today these landmarks remain to form the overwhelmingly unique character of the city.

Agriculture, mainly fruit, vegetables and some rice cultivation, is the mainstay of the local economy. In the past 10 years, tourism has become an increasingly important economic growth point for the city. Other industries include cottage industry, handicraft production, exporting, small scale business and manufacturing.

Throughout your photographic tour, you will be guided by a world renowned photographer and founder of a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting victims of human trafficking in Chiang Mai, Thailand. With him, you will visit and experience remote communities that have been kept at bay from the public eye for generations to listen, learn and photograph.

The expedition will lead you through remote areas of Southeast Asia which are focal points for human traffickers who are seeking out young children to become their trade – adding to the 2 million who are already being trafficked in Asia each year. During the expedition, your mission will be to document the daily reality which exists within these rural hill tribe communities. You will spend time talking to the villagers, experiencing their lives and trying to understand the challenges that these people are facing on a daily basis. Your contribution is to express their plight through the manner of your photographic lens allowing you to give back to them through a greater cultural awareness of their plight.

The expedition lasts around 10 to 15 days and will take place in northern Thailand where you will visit several hill tribes, shelters and at risk communities – learning their social and political issues as well as conducting some written and photographic case studies. You will receive expert photography instruction along the way, however you will need to be continually visualising through your lens in order to clearly express to the outside world the inner working of the world of child trafficking. Your role really is to help educate those who are unaware of the issues facing so many families and young children amongst the hill tribes in northern Thailand.

Project Itinerary

Day 1: Orientation in Bangkok. Introduction to Thai Culture, language classes and city visit.
Day 2: Transfer to Chiang Mai
Day 3: Orientation on cultural understanding and the issues of trafficking.
Day 4: Workshops:
- The important role and power of photography as a story teller.
- Field experience
- Working on assignment.
- Ethical.
- What makes a good photographer?
Day 5: (Travel day/ 1/2 day) to villages and at risk communities.
Day 6 to Day 10 (or to Day 14 on the longer expedition): Being on the ground and working on assignments.
Day 11: (travel day 1/2 day) back to centre of the girl victims of human trafficking.
Day 12: Workshop:
- Review and discuss photography as story teller.
- Post productions and writing story to mass audience.
- Summarize the trips + Q&A.
- Receiving Certified letter.
Day 13: Depart for Chiang Mai airport