The cause

"Those who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it for themselves." - Abraham Lincoln

The demand for cheap or free labour and illegal trafficking is largely driven by consumer demand for cheap projects and services. For example, children in India are kidnapped and forced to beg on the streets to make easy money for their kidnappers. Many young girls are trafficked into sex work, abused, and enslaved to fulfil the demands of local or tourist workers who are willing to pay a high price for these services to those who 'own' the women. 

People who are trafficked or enslaved are usually from a vulnerable situation to start with. They may be poor, isolated, neglected, uneducated, from conflict areas or areas prone to natural disasters, or they may have been previously abused. Desperate for hope, they are often coerced by false promises of opportunity, love, or money. Children are often kidnapped or sold into trafficking by people they know.

The Global Slavery Index describes vulnerability as: "a complex interaction of factors related to the presence or absence of protection and respect for rights, physical safety and security, access to the necessities of life such as food, water and health care, and patterns of migration, displacement and conflict."

The impact

Victims of trafficking and slavery experience great abuse both physically, emotionally, and mentally. Once coerced and enslaved, oppression begins with stressful, unhygienic conditions and physical and mental abuse. They or their families may receive very real threats, and they feel like they have no alternative. Loss of identification is a huge problem, making escapes, rescues, and rehabilitation very complicated. Often victims become despondent and, in an effort to survive, they conform to their captors demands. Victims may experience extreme trauma and suffer from fear, shame, and hopelessness in the wake of their experiences.

The solution

The solution to this enormous global issue is multi-layered, and The Freedom Project is involved in all these areas. 

Prevention

To prevent trafficking and slavery, people must be aware of the issues and also be equipped to enjoy safe and sustainable livelihoods. Education is one of the best approaches to achieving this. It is essential to target individuals and communities who are particularly vulnerable and seek to help them identify and understand the risks. Part of the solution is also to provide holistic education that will empower and equip people to support themselves with meaningful work. Vocational training and income generation opportunities are a great way to address this. Additionally, to reduce the demand, the whole community must work together to fight these systemic injustices. Authorities, community leaders, families, business owners, and consumers must all play their part in preventing modern slavery. 

Rescue

For those living in circumstances of slavery, escape or rescue is an obvious solution - but it proves to be highly risky and complicated. Depending on how long the victim has been in the situation, they may struggle to be motivated about or hopeful of being freed. Rescue involves a team of people working together to negotiate a way out. The process is arduous and lengthy and not always successful. However, rescues are happening continuously all around the world, as victims are exposed and given an opportunity to change their circumstances. It is essential that these victims are given all the support they need to not relapse back into abusive or harmful circumstances. 

Restoration

Once someone has been rescued, it is very important that they are rehabilitated back into their lives, communities, and society. If they are not given the proper support, care, and opportunities to build a brighter future, there is a risk that they will get caught in abusive situations again. Restoration involves a broad scope of initiatives ranging from emergency relief, food, shelter, counselling, education, and training. The fundamental purpose of this process is to help them recover from their experiences and set them up for a positive future. It is a long process, but it is where we see so much joy, hope, transformed lives, and impact on the wider community in the fight against injustice.