A Brighter Future for Human Trafficking Survivors

New York/Manila, 31 October 2016 – DataMotivate joins the Business Call to Action by committing to employ survivors of human trafficking and slavery through an inclusive impact-sourcing model.

Philippines based business process outsourcing company DataMotivate has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to provide skills training and full-time jobs to 500 survivors of human trafficking and slavery by 2022 through its inclusive impact sourcing model. By that year, the company also commits to replicate its model in another Asian market. Launched in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage people with less than US$8 per day in purchasing power as consumers, producers, suppliers and distributors. It is supported by several international organizations and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

International Justice Mission estimates that 45 million people globally are being held as slaves, including children. Millions more are trafficked long distances to work for near-slave wages in miserable conditions. Those who are lucky enough to escape from these ordeals have difficulty finding paying jobs: they are traumatized, often marginalized by their communities and have few resources to make ends meet.

Established in 2014, DataMotivate is turning survivors of trafficking and slavery into a skilled, empowered workforce – 95 percent of its outsourcing employees are women. This innovative social enterprise provides training and full-time employment for trafficking victims as professional service providers to corporations in the United States, Australia and Europe. In addition to e-commerce and data services, the company offers financial and accounting, real estate, human resources, procurement support and other business services.

Working through partnerships with NGOs such as World Vision and International Justice Mission, the company identifies suitable candidates for employment and provides comprehensive training and continued support throughout employment. A critical component of this model is the integrated support programme for employees that facilitates their access to medical care, affordable housing, banking and childcare for working mothers.

The company’s inclusive business model comprises technical training on complex professional services and support to optimize its employees’ success in their new careers. Its intensive training programme not only covers the technical skills required for specialized client work, but the soft skills needed to succeed in a modern office environment as well as social and life skills. This critical support, combined with well-paid skilled employment, empowers DataMotivate’s employees to build better lives while securing a dedicated workforce.

According to Tim Surgenor, DataMotivate’s CEO, “While staff attrition rates for outsourcing in the Philippines average 25-50 percent, DataMotivate has a retention rate of more than 95 percent since we are providing much-appreciated opportunities to staff who have never had them before.”

The employment of vulnerable groups like trafficking survivors contributes to sustainable community development and the well-being of entire families. For every women employed by DataMotivate, at least three household members benefit through improved education, nutrition, housing and healthcare.

“DataMotivate is promoting livelihoods and human rights by employing people affected by human trafficking and slavery,” said the BCtA Programme Manager Paula Pelaez. “The training and employment the company provides not only pave the way for sustainable livelihoods, but demonstrate to potential clients that outsourcing can have positive social impacts.”

The company’s high staff retention rate and unusually dedicated workforce who show outstanding commitment are enabling the company to provide a high quality, consistent service. Growing rapidly, DataMotivate has committed to replicate its inclusive impact-sourcing model in another Asian country such as India in the next 5 years.

For further information:

Business Call to Action: Tatiana Bessarabova at tatiana.bessarabova@undp.org
DataMotivate: Tim Surgenor at tim.surgenor@datamotivate.com

Membership in the Business Call to Action does not constitute a partnership with its funding and programme partners, UNDP or any UN agency.

About the Business Call to Action (BCtA): Launched at the United Nations in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that offer the potential for both commercial success and development impact. BCtA is a unique multilateral alliance between key donor governments including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UK Department for International Development, US Agency for International Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Finland, and the United Nations Development Programme — which hosts the secretariat. For more information, please visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.

About DataMotivate: Established in the Philippines in 2014, DataMotivate provides high-quality outsourced shared services and back-office operations to medium and large corporations in the USA, UK, Australia and Europe while creating employment for the survivors of trafficking and slavery, and those vulnerable to trafficking. It seeks to provide value for its clients with a low-cost dedicated work force while helping its employees transform their lives. Its inclusive business model is a critical part of trafficking and slavery survivors’ recovery and pro-actively prevents further trafficking by creating employment for vulnerable people. For more information about DataMotivate, visit: www.datamotivate.com