Let Them Be Free {human trafficking}

This week, I'm partnering with Not for Sale + Sevenly to rescue children at risk of being trafficked.

I heard about Not for Sale for the first time in college. The president of Not for Sale spoke at commencement at my school the year before I graduated. I remember first really understanding what human trafficking was when I was in college. It was something that really grabbed my attention. Previously, I had been one of those people living in my own little bubble, forgetting these horrors exist. Thinking they only happen in far-off countries with corrupt governments, and nobody to advocate for the trafficked. But they don't. Human trafficking occurs here, in the U.S. In your city. And these people in far-off countries, they are often more vulnerable than those trafficked in the U.S. because of dire economic circumstances.

30 million people are currently enslaved around the world. Modern-day slavery is currently growing. While most people are aware of sex trafficking, slave labor and debt bondage are also types of modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world (tied with arms dealing and only preceded by drug dealing). {Source}

Check out the US Dept of Health and Human Services fact sheet if you're interested in more information.

find this shirt and similar styles here

So what can you do about it?

• Take a look at the t-shirts for sale at Sevenly. Purchases this week will go to support Not For Sale and the work they're doing to fight modern-day slavery. 
• Download the app Free2Work (it's available for both iPhone and Android). This app allows you to scan barcodes of clothing so that you can be aware of the origin of the products and materials used by manufacturers. It will help you figure out which manufacturers are committed to addressing human trafficking. 
• Buy fair trade. Yes, it's a little more expensive, but is the cost of unsafe work conditions and meager pay worth the few dollars you'll save by purchasing a cheaper, less ethical brand? 

Not For Sale works to fight modern-day slavery. They provide direct services to victims of human trafficking and people vulnerable to exploitation, and attack the root causes through education, skill development and job creation.