Blog
Stronger Together: Building Survivor-led Change in India
Survivors of slavery are not just reclaiming their own freedom—they are leading the charge to protect others. In August 2025, Free the Slaves hosted a two-day training in India as part of our Community Liberation Initiative, equipping survivor leaders with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to prevent exploitation in their communities. From learning the roots of modern slavery to developing strategies for awareness and advocacy, participants demonstrated the power of transformation: once victims, now champions for change. Their stories show how one empowered life can spark freedom for many more.
Free the Slaves Equips Cocoa Communities with Mobile Phones to Address and Prevent Forced Labor
In Cameroon’s cocoa heartland, the fight against forced labor is taking a technological leap forward. Free the Slaves is equipping Community Vigilance Committees in Mbam-et-Kim with mobile phones and training to monitor, document, and respond to exploitation more effectively. This innovation is accelerating reporting, strengthening community resilience, and protecting vulnerable workers—just in time for the high-risk harvest season.
Kédougou Advances Regional Collaboration in Survivor Care and Reintegration
In Kédougou, Senegal, a powerful example of resilience and cross-border solidarity has unfolded. Between August 2024 and June 2025, coordinated operations rescued 20 survivors of trafficking and exploitation—providing safety, care, and a path toward reintegration long after a formal anti-exploitation program had ended. This is the story of how governments, civil society, and international partners worked together to protect lives, restore dignity, and create lasting change.
Inside the Hidden World of Nepal’s Child Domestic Workers
Behind the closed doors of urban homes in Nepal, thousands of children—mostly from rural villages—work long hours in exchange for shelter, food, or a small wage. Often invisible to the public and absent from national statistics, these children face isolation from friends and family, interruptions in their schooling, and in some cases, hazardous labor.
Our new research with CWISH uncovers the pathways that lead children into domestic work, the daily realities they face, and the factors—poverty, lack of rural education, family pressures—that make them vulnerable. More importantly, it highlights the voices of the children themselves and offers actionable recommendations for government, educators, employers, and communities to create safer, fairer futures.
Preventing Forced Labor in Cameroon’s Cocoa Supply Chains Through Local Action
Forced labor remains one of the most urgent human rights challenges of our time—hidden deep within global supply chains, including the cocoa sector in West and Central Africa. In Cameroon, a major cocoa producer, Free the Slaves is working alongside local communities, government agencies, and industry partners to tackle this problem at its roots. Through a new pilot project in four cocoa-growing communities, we are building community-led vigilance systems that can identify, prevent, and address forced labor—ensuring that the cocoa reaching global markets is free from exploitation.
Unmasking Cyber Slavery: The Hidden Truth Behind Southeast Asia’s Scam Compounds
In the heart of Southeast Asia, a new form of modern slavery is emerging—one that hides in plain sight behind fortified walls and digital screens. Scam compounds, powered by high-tech tools and predatory recruitment tactics, are forcing thousands into brutal labor, blending human trafficking with online fraud on a massive scale. In this blog, Free the Slaves Asia Regional Director Kuldeep Singh Chauhan unpacks the hidden mechanics of cyber slavery—drawing on firsthand insights from two recent podcast guests, Ling Li and Jacob Sims—and explores what it will take to dismantle this fast-evolving threat.
From Pain to Power: Survivors Network Kenya Launches Bold Strategic Plan to End Human Trafficking
In a groundbreaking step for survivor leadership in Kenya, the Survivors Network Kenya (SNK) has launched its first Strategic Plan (2025–2027). Developed through a participatory, survivor-led process with support from Free the Slaves and the UK FCDO, the plan outlines a bold vision to end human trafficking and modern slavery—placing those with lived experience at the center of change.
Field Visit Report: Exploring Institutional Collaboration on Human Trafficking and Forced Labor in Chile
Free the Slaves met with national stakeholders in Chile to explore new avenues for collaboration in the fight against human trafficking and forced labor. Through targeted training, a national seminar, and strategic discussions with government officials, this visit laid the groundwork for future partnerships to strengthen institutional capacity and advance anti-slavery efforts across the country.
Exploitation and Extraction: How Armed Groups are Fueling Modern Slavery in DRC’s Cocoa Sector
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s cocoa sector is growing—but so is the exploitation behind it. New research by Free the Slaves reveals how armed groups and corrupt actors are using violence, forced labor, and smuggling to control cocoa production in eastern DRC. As cocoa beans flow into global supply chains, the human cost remains hidden. This new report examines the links between modern slavery and illicit resource appropriation—and what governments, industry, and the international community must do to stop it.