it's anti-slavery day. how will you get involved?

You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know. ~William Wilberforce

I remember the first time I was aware—really aware—of the horrors of sex slavery and human trafficking. My baby sister Blendy was competing in Serious Prose at State Speech, and a girl in one of her rounds performed a heartbreaking (and far too explicit for a high school competition) piece about a Nepali girl who was sold into sex slavery by her father. I did a bit more research, and I was horrified by what I learned. But what could I do to help?

Then it hit me. I may not be able to go physically rescue people, but there are three other vitally important things that I can do.

1. Pray. This is the one thing I can do all the time. I use this prayer guide from the A21 Campaign.
2. Give. There are many wonderful anti-trafficking organizations; I'd encourage you to research them and, if you're able, choose one to financially support.
3. Spread awareness. This can be done through blogging (like this post) and social media, through wearing items that spark conversation (like the One Girl bracelet and A21 Campaign KEY2FREE necklace), through talking with your friends, and through many other means. (For ideas, click here.)

A few years ago, I ran an article about trafficking in the Advance, the school newsletter that goes out to NC parents, alumni, and supporters. The article was written by Sara, an alum who worked for World Vision as an associate expert on trafficking. Sara's article eloquently and tastefully opened people's eyes to the horrors of human trafficking. If your eyes need to be opened, I think this article is a great place to start. You can read it here—scroll to page six.

Here are a couple videos about trafficking:




I also recommend you watch Human Trafficking, an eye-opening, disturbing, action-spurring miniseries. If you have Netflix, you can watch it here.

Today, on Anti-Slavery Day, why don't you take a few minutes to consider how you might get involved in this fight for freedom? Educate yourself. Pray for the victims. Spread the word.