Empowering vulnerable communities.
Innovative media strategies to support trafficked women.
Oasis Belgium
CLIENT
Oasis Belgium is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting trafficked women and children, working closely with national agencies to provide essential services.
BRIEF
To find a way to reach and support Thai women, including those who may have been trafficked or are living in challenging circumstances, often beyond the reach of traditional support systems. The aim was to provide these women and their families with access to vital information and support, overcoming the barriers posed by their often-hidden existence. With the proposal of a mobile app as a potential solution, Kore was tasked with carrying out a feasibility study alongside strategic recommendations.
By conducting ethnographic research to deeply understand the lived experiences of the women, we spent time with individuals in various settings, including detention centres, brothels, refugee housing, squats, and workplaces such as nail parlours.
Through interviews and observation, we gained insights into how these women used their phones and devices, how they communicated, and how they maintained connections within their communities.
Our research revealed a strong sense of community among the women, with significant support networks both locally in Europe and back home in East Asia. However, we also found a reluctance or lack of awareness regarding external support systems.
Importantly, our findings on technology use indicated that a mobile app was unlikely to be adopted widely due to fear, privacy concerns and the very nuanced ways these women interacted with their devices.
Based on our research, we recommended that the development of a mobile app would not have been a cost-effective or impactful solution. Instead, we proposed an innovative approach: creating a short YouTube or video series featuring well-known Thai actors and actresses. This soap opera-style series would include storylines that subtly embedded the necessary support messages, making the content engaging and culturally relevant. The series would be shareable within the community, both in Thailand and Europe, and could go viral, spreading crucial information in a way that was safe and inconspicuous for the women to access.
This approach offered multiple advantages:
Longevity: Unlike a mobile app, the video series would not require constant updates or technical maintenance, ensuring that the content remains relevant and accessible over time.
Cultural Relevance: The strategy leveraged existing cultural channels to create widespread awareness without exposing the women to additional risks.
Discreet Access: The series was designed to be inconspicuous, allowing the women to access the information safely, without the concern of being tracked through a visible app.
IMPACT
Kore’s insights were instrumental in shaping Oasis Belgium’s operational strategy, enabling them to allocate resources more effectively.
Our comprehensive research offered a deep understanding of the community, which could be applied more broadly across Oasis Belgium’s work and beyond the immediate scope of the project.
By recommending a culturally attuned, shareable video series instead of a mobile app, Kore provided a blueprint for a solution that was both impactful and sustainable. The proposed approach also offered greater longevity, as it avoided the need for ongoing app updates and maintenance.
Kore’s approach demonstrated our commitment to understanding the problem and providing a targeted solution. By identifying that the proposed app would not deliver a measurable impact, we provided the strategy and tools needed to move forward independently, reflecting our ethos of being true catalysts for positive transformation.
Informed ⛁
resource allocation and operational planning
Change ⏭
Led to strategic organisational shift to new media