Taking action to end modern day slavery

By Zuhal Sharp, Rotary Programs Staff

“At age 13, Angela ran away from home to escape family members’ alcoholic rages and abuse. After a night without shelter she got into a car with a man who promised love, then sold her for sex countless times before her 16th birthday. Rachel – whose mother was incapacitated and whose father committed suicide – said her choice at 15 years old was to sleep on a park bench and eat from a trash can or to say yes to the middle-aged man who first offered her money for a sex act. Their stories of isolation, brutal violence, and sadness aren’t unique or far away.”

Carol Hart Metzker, a member of Rotarian Action Group Against Child Slavery (RACSRAG) shares what led her to take action against modern day slavery. Read the complete story in The Rotarian.

According to the Global Slavery Index, an estimated 35 million men, women, and children around the world are trapped in modern day slavery. Countries with the highest numbers include India with an estimated 14.29 million enslaved people, followed by China with 3.24m, Pakistan with 2.06m, Uzbekistan 1.2m, and Russia with 1.05m. Although slavery is illegal in every nation, illegal profits from human trafficking are valued at USD $150 billion annually.

The Rotarian Action Group Against Child Slavery (RACSRAG) is committed to change these numbers and encourages the Rotary family to join their efforts by:

Creating awareness: Tell Rotarians and the wider public that millions of children are held captive for profit.

Taking action: Supporting, working with and promoting global anti-slavery bodies and activities through Rotary clubs and districts, campaigns and projects that help protect children from slavery and its consequences.

Visit the Rotarian Action Group Against Child Slavery’s website at www.racsrag.org or visit their booth in the House of Friendship and breakout session at the Rotary International Convention in Korea.

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