Blog
Inaugural Elkes Impact Award Winners Announced
The Elkes Impact Awards were established in recognition of the tremendous work local advocate survivors and civil society organizations are doing in their communities. Local survivors and organizations too often do not receive widespread acknowledgment of their work,...
Hope Amid Crisis in Haiti
You have probably seen in the news that Haiti is facing a crisis with multiple layers: political instability, a natural disaster, economic uncertainty, food shortages, and kidnappings for ransom. The president was assassinated, a 7.2 earthquake killed more than 2,000...
Sophie’s Hope: A Renewed Chance after being Trafficked to China
Sophie* was encouraged in her twenties by her own mother to work in China because of the promise of earning a better salary. Her mom had migrated from Vietnam to China as a teen, and suggested that her daughter should make the same journey. Coming from a poor family...
Get Involved
Everyone Deserves a Mask
As the country director for Free the Slaves in the Dominican Republic, I work in tandem with local partners against the conditions that perpetuate exploitation and trafficking in vulnerable communities. Many of the people we work directly with are undocumented Haitian...
Child Labor is Child Abuse
June 12 is World Day Against Child Labor, a time to reflect on the fact that millions of children toil in harmful and hazardous jobs. Many are forced to work by their families or by traffickers. Many are beaten and whipped into submission. That is what happened to...
Slavery Survivors Help Haiti’s COVID-19 Response
I’d like to share some important and inspiring news from our program in Haiti. There’s a deep sense of community spirit among Haiti’s slavery survivors. That’s why the Adult Survivor Network has stepped forward to be part of the country’s response to the COVID-19...
Our Work
Double the Number of Slavery Resistant Villages
When people map how modern slavery plagues their villages in the Dominican Republic, it’s a real eye opener. The simple drawing becomes a road map for freedom. Everyone in bondage is identified, and residents pledge to liberate every last woman, man and child. It...
FTS Programs Help Lift Two Countries in 2019 Trafficking Report
Good news today from the U.S. State Department. Both Haiti and Senegal have been removed from the Tier Two Watch List in the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, an indication that the governments of both countries are increasing their efforts to combat human...
Double the Number of Slaves Living Free
A single piece of paper can change someone’s life. That’s why Free the Slaves provides vital legal support for people we liberate from bondage. This summer, you can double the number of survivors who receive official documentation to put slavery behind them and resume...
News
Shocking Statistics, Encouraging Commitments at United Nations
This week’s release of new estimates on the scope of slavery worldwide are both shocking and encouraging. Shocking because the figures are worse than many experts had believed. But encouraging because the report’s release at the United Nations General Assembly has...
The Importance of Numbers in the Fight Against Slavery
As the United Nations General Assembly convenes this week in New York, an important announcement is coming about modern slavery worldwide. The International Labor Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the group Walk Free will be...
Hurricane Irma Threatens Haiti
Hurricane Irma continues to move towards Haiti as a Category 5 storm. Puerto Rico is already feeling the effects, with 15 -20 foot storm surges expected in some coastal communities. It is being described as the strongest Atlantic hurricane in history, with winds...
Americas
Broward College in Florida to Hold Free Day-Long Event to Raise Awareness on Human Trafficking
In you live in South Florida, this event next Thursday is for you! In recognition of National Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Broward College, in partnership with Free the Slaves, will host a day-long conference titled “Human Trafficking: Exposing...
4 years After Haiti Earthquake Children Still at High Risk of Slavery
Haiti’s devastating earthquake hit on January 12, 2010. It affected everyone in Haiti, and continues to affect those who lost friends and family as well as homes and businesses. While significant money and effort have been marshaled to rebuild, much remains to be...
New Video: What Does Slavery Look Like Today?
It’s an ancient abuse. But it persists throughout the world today. Slavery remains one of the greatest human rights challenges of history. Modern-day slavery looks different than the sailing ships and shackles we learned about in high school history class. Today, it’s...
Asia
India Sex Slavery Survivor Shelter Hits Milestone, But Needs Help
On this International Women’s Day, I’d like to share a remarkable success story. More than 200 women and girls have now restarted their lives at our Punarnawa Ashram for sex slavery survivors in India. The ashram’s residents have endured unspeakable brutality before...
Rejecting Racism, Strengthening our Bonds
Every day, the staff of Free the Slaves works in solidarity with local partners and communities to help bring about a more just world. We do so in Haiti, in several countries in Africa, and in Asia. Every day, our staff manifests tremendous dedication and skill. Every...
Breaking Free and Staying Free
People become enslaved for a reason. And if we don’t change those circumstances, a trafficking survivor is at extreme risk of being enslaved again. That’s why our India team provided Chhatanki with a way to support himself after liberation from a local brick kiln....
Africa
Dedicated to Peace, Freedom, Human Dignity
My journey to becoming a human rights activist began while I was a high school. During holiday breaks, my classmates and I organized "Framing Camps" to benefit children in our neighborhood. Later, I had an opportunity to attend a child rights workshop and research...
FTS Senegal Program Gains Widespread Attention & Media Coverage
Last week’s Free the Slaves seminar in Senegal on child begging slavery was a remarkable success. Representatives from the Senegal government, international organizations and local civil society groups gathered to learn how our Aar Sunu Xaleyi (Protect Our Children)...
Changing Lives in Senegal
No parent wants to force their child onto city streets to beg, but that’s what is happening in Senegal. Many village parents think their children are going to the city for religious boarding school. Instead, heartless traffickers force many kids into begging slavery....