2014 is flying by. It’s hard to believe it’s already March and the first two months of the year are over. These have been a jam packed two months at Abolishion. The year got off to an exciting start with the launch of our FREE online training course on human trafficking. We have specifically designed this course to help you understand how human trafficking happens and to know what you can do about it. The course covers a whole host of topics including, where to find statistics, supply and demand, how to identify traffickers and the psychology behind trafficker techniques. If you are not part of the 157 people who are already doing this course you can receive it free by signing up today. If you have done the course we’d love you to share it on social media and encourage your friends to sign up.

People are telling us that the course is helping them to understand much more about trafficking than they expected to learn and many are now talking to friends and raising awareness. This is exactly what we wanted to see happen! Some have come back to us and told us that they are keen to see it available in their language. We’ve got amazing people volunteering to translate the course so it can reach even more people. We made translating it into Romanian a priority since this is where the bulk of our work is today. We already had the honour of presenting it to around 400 influential pastors and team leaders in February.

I have been located in Romania the past two weeks for a very busy time. Meetings have been held to continue working through all the processes we need to have in place to set up a much needed shelter. It always drives me to know that last year 43 girls were rescued and there was no where for them to get the kind of care they really needed. We are working hard to fill this gap. I also had the privilege to speak at Human Trafficking conference run by local churches in Oradea, Romania (pictured above). I love how people are starting to see the need and are doing what they can to stop trafficking. If we all do this I do truly believe this crime can be stopped. This week I also took the time to do some research on trafficking and had the honour of speaking with a number of survivors. They are amazing women!

I’m also very happy to say our team is expanding. After spending time with me on the field in Romania, Moldova and France last year, both Anthony and Cherith Wilson have decided to join our team. Anthony will be looking after our Australian base as our Australia Operations Manager. He is working to build up a bigger network and raise awareness and funds in Australia. Cherith is bringing her project management skills to our shelter projects and is ensuring that we have everything in place to make the shelter happen and to provide quality care. Catherine Bell in Melbourne, Australia, has also joined the team as a graphic artist to help us spread awareness.

Here’s what are we up to in the coming months:

• Ongoing - Shelter - Plans for developing our shelter continue to be worked through

• March 2014 - Italy - Launching our Italian online training course on Human Trafficking

• March 2014 - Italy - NLI Network Summit - an important summit where we network with others working in Europe to bring positive change.

• March 2014 - Italy - Speaking at the EMERGE Women’s Conference

• March 2014 - Germany - Launching our German online training course on Human Trafficking

• April 2014 - Spain - Speaking at the EMERGE Women’s Conference

• April 2014 - Spain - Launching our Spanish online training course on Human Trafficking

• May 2014 - Romania - Speaking at the World Congress on Resilience

• May 2014 - Romania - National Summit with government leaders, police and prosecutors.

• September 2014 - Romania - Social Worker and Schools Workers Training Conferences

I’m really looking forward to all that we can accomplish together as we continue to break the systems that keep people in slavery.

Leanne