THE PROJECT
"As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person."
- Paul Shane Spear
Find out more about the project, vision and mission below.
FREEDOM PROJECT : WHY
Freedom Project is made up of four women living in Australia who have compassion and a passion for women and children who are trapped within sex slavery. We are an initiative of YWAM Toowoomba. Through our various gifts and talents, we have come together as a team to work as partners with Destiny Rescue to be advocates for those who don't have a voice of their own.
As christians we are called to lay down everything in order to gain the kingdom of God. We are called to do this after the example of Jesus Christ Himself who gave everything up - His place in Heaven with the Father, everything He had on earth and even His own life - to gain us, His bride.
What a crazy, wild love, that Jesus would give everything up, even for one life. The example that Jesus has set, should inspire us to do the same and walk in His footsteps. We too are called to give up living life for ourselves, to think beyond ourselves and lay down our lives for someone else.
Through street markets, events, social media, busking and talking to schools and youth groups, we are slowly spreading awareness and raising funds to rescue at least 10 children by the middle of 2018.
One life is worth laying down our life for. We might not be able to change the whole world, but we are able to change someone's world.
THE HARD TRUTH
about child sex trafficking
10 million children
Globally approximately 10 million children are subjected to various forms of sexual exploitation in the commercial sex industry.
> 2 million children
More than two million children enter into the commercial sex industry annually (Child Wise, 2006).
30 % of the sex workers
In the Mekong sub-region* of Southeast Asia, approximately 30 percent of sex workers are between 12-17 years old (UNICEF, 2009).
* The Mekong sub-region of Southeast Asia designates a development project formed by the Asian Development Bank in 1992 that brought together the six states of the Mekong River basin, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan Province, China.
FREEDOM PROJECT :
FIGHTING HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING
As Robert Allen said: "Slavery was abolished 150 years ago. While it is true that slavery is illegal almost everywhere on earth, the FACT is that there are more slaves today that there ever were."
Human trafficking can be defined as "the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others". [1] [2] It is a crime.
Human trafficking is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organizations. [3] Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry, behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking. It reportedly generates a profit of 32 billion dollars every year. Of that number, 15.5 billion dollars is made in industrialized countries. [4] According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and 50% are children. [5]
Trafficking of children involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation. The commercial sexual exploitation of children can take many forms, including forcing a child into prostitution or other forms of sexual activity or child pornography. [6] [7]
Child exploitation may also involve forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, the removal of organs, illicit international adoption, trafficking for early marriage, recruitment as child soldiers, for use in begging or as athletes (such as child camel jockeys or football players), or for recruitment for cults. [8]
References:
[1] "UNODC on human trafficking and migrant smuggling". Unodc.org. 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
[2] Jump up to: a b "Amnesty International - People smuggling". Amnesty.org.au. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
[3] Louise Shelley (2010). Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-139-48977-5.
[4] CNN. "The CNN Freedom Project." Accessed March 4, 2015
[5] "TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT." United States Department. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/34158.pdf.
[6] Williams, Rachel (2008-07-03). "British-born teenagers being trafficked for sexual exploitation within UK, police say". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2010-05-04.
[7] "Mother sold girl for sex", May 7, 2010, The Age.
[8] "Agents in the UEFA spotlight at the Wayback Machine" (archived April 30, 2009), UEFA, 29 September 2006. (archived from the original on 2009-04-30)
FREEDOM PROJECT : HEART & PURPOSE
Human trafficking and sexual exploitation is not restricted to third world countries. It is as prevalent in Europe, Australia and the United States as it is in places like Nepal or India. Worldwide there are approximately 27 million victims of human trafficking.
Yet we don't often hear about it in the news or on the radio. We may read the occasional article in a magazine or see the rare documentary on television but that is it. It's no wonder that a lot of people don't understand the seriousness of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Our society is sheltered. But the question is, are we only uninformed or do we just not care?
Either way, there are people who are doing all they can to make a difference and bring human trafficking to a stop. There are people out there who give their all to help, because they are appalled by the thought that this hell on earth exists and is growing.
Our realization of the enormous need there is for help stirred the longing in our hearts to step out and do something. -- anything. We don't ever want to take this lightly anymore. Now that we've become fully aware of what is going on - right under our noses - we can't just be silent and walk away.
The purpose of Freedom Project is to both [1] bring awareness to human sex trafficking and [2] to make an actual difference in the life of one or more victims from sex slavery. Through this project we want to see more people's eyes opened for the reality of human trafficking: we want people's hearts to be moved and see them act. And we want to act. After all, we are the ones who have the power and capacity to help.
Through going to markets, other events, and through using our gifts in music and in art, we hope to raise enough money to rescue at least 10 girls from a life of sex slavery by mid 2018. That's at least $15,000 AUD. All the proceeds will go to Destiny Rescue, an organization that seeks to rescue, restore, protect, empower, and advocate for underaged victims of human trafficking.
Through going to youth groups and schools as well as documenting our journey we hope to bring more awareness to the issue of human sex trafficking. On our blog page, we will write about the things we experience and the people we meet along the way.