Blog
The Fight Against Human Trafficking: The Pursuit of Justice in the Dominican Republic
The Fight Against Human Trafficking and the Pursuit of Justice in the Dominican Republic. In the lush landscapes of the Dominican Republic (DR), a country celebrated for its beautiful beaches and vibrant culture, lies an insidious issue that casts a dark shadow: human...
Between Neglect and Exploitation: Modern Slavery in Peru
A recent study on modern slavery in Peru conducted by Free the Slaves and ONOTZI in the Peruvian Amazon’s regions of Ucayali and Huánuco uncovers the harsh realities of four Indigenous communities.
Freedom from Slavery Forum Ambassadorship
My name is Grace Kalekye, and I am a passionate advocate against Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery. In 2022, I had the honor of being elected as the most impactful Survivor Advocate by the Elkes Impact Award and Free the Slaves. I was recognized for exposing...
Get Involved
Kenya Runner’s Tips for Immigrants on Avoiding U.S. Traffickers
Editor’s note: With the Olympics focusing on track and field events last week, we are privileged to share a survivor’s story about how human trafficking can happen to anyone, even a professional athlete. My name is Moninda Marube and I am a Kenyan national currently...
Freedom from Slavery Forum Begins Regional Convenings
The Freedom from Slavery Forum is pioneering new ground this year as the anti-slavery movement’s premiere thought-leadership convening. For the past eight years, the Forum has been a collegial space for anti-slavery leaders from around the world to coalesce, create...
Joint Statement and Call to Action on the Crisis in Haiti
In response to the crisis in Haiti, which has deepened in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, we, the undersigned individuals and organizations, express our condolences and sympathy to all of the Haitian families that have lost a loved one to the...
Our Work
Child Rights Begin with Children
The village school in Kobiri Nsuoano is a beacon of hope. It’s a simple building down a bumpy narrow road. But what happens inside is revolutionary. Children are learning about their rights as part of a Free the Slaves program to prevent them from being trafficked...
Understanding the Modern Slavery Landscape of the Middle East and North Africa
Women, children, migrants, refugees, and other minorities are especially vulnerable to human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This vulnerability is magnified by a wide range of factors, including economic instability, conflict, climate...
Fair Food: Who Picked Your Produce?
Editor’s Note: This guest blog from a Free the Slaves advocacy partner in the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking highlights how a key program to fight modern slavery in American agriculture has moved from a theory of change to a proven solution. The Coalition of...
News
Grassroots Advocacy Continues via Zoom
The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted anti-trafficking work around the world. But the Free the Saves India team has continued to press ahead with vital online advocacy training that builds bridges between communities and government officials. FTS work in India...
Situation Update: Dominican Republic
The COVID-19 state of emergency and curfew continues in the Dominican Republic as the contagion spreads. Hospitals are full. Government aid has not reached impoverished communities where Free the Slaves works because of discrimination toward residents of Haitian...
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...
Americas
Acceptance Leads to Freedom
It’s a simple concept, and a universal value: acceptance. “He who is different from me does not impoverish me — he enriches me,” wrote the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. But in the Dominican Republic, a lack of acceptance fuels modern slavery. Haitian...
Valuing Courage in Times of Crisis
There are few places on earth where it’s harder to stand up for human rights than Haiti. On this year’s Human Rights Day, we’d like to share an update about our courageous front-line activists there, who continue to fight child slavery even in times of national...
Bukeni Tete Waruzi Joins Free the Slaves as Executive Director
Free the Slaves is thrilled to announce that a courageous advocate for the rights of women and children has joined the organization as executive director. Bukeni Tete Waruzi has helped put a Congolese warlord behind bars, has helped women trafficked into domestic...
Asia
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...
Freedom from Slavery Forum Focuses on Asia
Anti-slavery movement leaders across Asia convened virtually via Zoom in August at the first-ever Freedom from Slavery Forum - Asia to discuss issues most pertinent to the continent and set priorities for next year around the theme of “Resilience and Resistance to...
Integrating Anti-Trafficking Work into COVID-19 Medical Interventions
International development and humanitarian relief programs frequently work in areas where modern slavery flourishes. This connection has deepened as the COVID-19 global pandemic increases social and economic vulnerabilities to human trafficking. But in India, a...
Africa
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,...
2021 Regional Forums Initiative Concludes
It’s been a busy past three months! The Freedom from Slavery Forum held three regional events focusing on Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and the combined regions of North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. This concluded the series of 2021 regional...
Four Letters that Spell Freedom
It takes organization to free a village from modern slavery. In Ghana, that organization has a long name with a short acronym: a Community Child Protection Committee, or CCPC. Helping villagers form these committees is a fundamental element of our community-based...