Monday 02-02-2026 - 09:00

Maria Turda, a DTA3 alum from University of Lancashire (previously University of Central Lancashire), undertook a placement as part of the DTA3 Legacy Fund - a fund set up to provide DTA3 fellows post-graduation with an opportunity to learn from practice in another country, with the intention to apply this learning to UK society. 

Context and research focus

In the summer of 2025, I spent one month in Vietnam as part of a DTA3 Legacy Fund placement with Care for Children Vietnam. The project centred on a pilot study exploring the role of family-based care in preventing human trafficking. Building on my PhD and research on trafficking, this experience enabled a more focused engagement with early prevention and child-protection approaches aimed at reducing trafficking risks among vulnerable children and young people, particularly those who are orphaned or living in street-connected contexts.

Vietnam felt like a particularly important place to carry out this work. Vietnamese nationals are among the most frequently identified potential victims of trafficking and modern slavery in the UK, making Vietnam central to understanding prevention and reintegration across borders. Alongside this, the country places strong emphasis on family and community care and is undergoing rapid change in its child protection and anti-trafficking approaches. 

My research focused on how family-based care, such as foster care, kinship care, and community-supported living, can help build resilience and act as a safeguard against exploitation. While Vietnam has made significant policy commitments in this area, there is still limited evidence on how these approaches work in practice, particularly in rural areas and communities shaped by migration.

Fieldwork and emerging insights

During the placement, I was hosted by Care for Children Vietnam, an international NGO supporting governments to move away from institutional care and towards family-based alternatives. With their support, I combined formal research with on-the-ground observation. I carried out a policy analysis of national child protection and anti-trafficking frameworks, conducted interviews with NGO staff, social workers, humanitarian practitioners, and public officials, and visited programme sites and local offices across Hanoi, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Da Lat, and Hue. Alongside this, I attended networking events and engaged in informal conversations with local and international actors working in these areas.

Emerging insights highlighted just how important family and community-rooted care can be in shaping children’s resilience. Practitioners spoke repeatedly about the role of emotional stability, belonging, and consistent adult support in reducing risks linked to homelessness, abandonment, and economic insecurity. As one practitioner shared, “Children become more resilient through family belonging; we try to break the cycle of abandonment.”

At the same time, participants emphasised that vulnerability is shaped by broader structural conditions, including poverty, limited access to education, and the absence of stable family support. Trafficking itself is also changing rapidly. Digital recruitment, online exploitation, and cross-border scam compounds or farms were frequently mentioned as growing concerns, particularly for young people seeking income, connection, or migration opportunities. As one practitioner noted, “Scammers and traffickers are smart and invest much money in this [recruitment for exploitation].” These conversations reinforced how complex prevention work has become, and why it requires both strong policy frameworks and locally grounded responses.

What stayed with me most, however, were the people. Many practitioners work in challenging, often underfunded conditions and at times are exposed to personal risk. Their commitment, adaptability, and resilience were deeply inspiring. Stories of frontline work and rescue operations alongside the police left a lasting impression, grounding academic and policy discussions in lived and often urgent realities.

    

Fieldwork visits and networking events in Hanoi

Reflections and looking ahead

Fieldwork was not without its challenges. The short timeframe, bureaucratic processes, and contextual disruptions, such as extreme weather, required constant flexibility. Regular check-ins with the supporting NGO, cultural awareness, and openness to adapting plans were essential. Importantly, the exploratory nature of the project allowed me to focus on building relationships, listening carefully, and thinking together about how research could move forward in ways that go beyond data collection.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible, informal, and hybrid working practices became commonplace among NGOs in Vietnam, and I encountered a working culture that differed from what I had anticipated, with much of the work taking place in cafés and shared working spaces rather than formal office settings. This professional learning was situated within a broader social and cultural context marked by resilience, optimism, and a strong sense of pride in everyday life, where “posh” cafés and street vendors existed side by side. The contrasts of Vietnam’s rapid urban growth was a reminder that vulnerability and strength coexist. 

I immersed myself in the cultural richness and beauty of Vietnam, an experience that deepened my personal learning and further strengthened my commitment to transnational anti-trafficking research that bridges policy, practice, and lived experience. The placement sharpened my reflexivity and enabled me to actively practise collaboration, continual learning, and the navigation of new research projects as an early career researcher. Building on this work, future outputs will be developed and shared through both academic channels and practice-focused dissemination.

I am deeply grateful to the Doctoral Training Alliance Legacy Fund and the University Alliance for making this placement possible, to Care for Children Vietnam for hosting me, to all partner organisations and participants for their generosity, and to the colleagues who offered feedback and support throughout this journey. As an early career researcher, this experience strengthened my research practice, built confidence in managing independent fieldwork, and created a valuable window for immersive learning and reflection.

Dr Maria Turda, University of Lancashire