Livermore Student Founds Human Trafficking Awareness Nonprofit

LIVERMORE, CA — A Livermore High School student’s nonprofit has educated thousands of people about how to recognize and prevent human trafficking.

LHS student Archismita Murkherjee founded A.S.H.A. (Awareness, Safety, Hope, and Action) after learning about human trafficking through a summer class project at school. “I realized many students, including myself at the time, lacked a real understanding of trafficking. Most people only associate it with extreme situations they see online or in movies, without recognizing how grooming, online exploitation, and manipulation can affect everyday teenagers. The topic is often avoided because it feels uncomfortable, which is exactly why education is so important,” Mukherjee told Patch.

ASHA has partnered with local anti-trafficking organizations like Love Never Fails and 3Strands Global to develop and present youth-centered trafficking prevention programs. ASHA students present their peers with information about online safety, grooming awareness, risk recognition, and how to prevent themselves and others before exploitation occurs. Volunteers have collaborated at schools across the Tri-Valley on various awareness campaigns, outreach efforts, and educational initiatives. They have also reached over 3,500 people through Instagram awareness campaigns.

Mukherjee said they hope to partner with more organizations, including the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, and expand all over the country and world.

“Middle school and high school students are among the most vulnerable groups to online exploitation and any sort of trafficking. We believe prevention starts with awareness at the right place and right time. Even one impactful presentation can give a student the knowledge or confidence to recognize warning signs, protect themselves, or help someone else,” she said.

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