Abolishion would like to say a big thank you to GBG PLC and to their staff member Avikal Bajpai. Avikal nominated Abolishion for the "GBG Gives Back Competition” and was delighted us to tell us that he won.  As a a result, GBG will be donating $500 to Abolishion’s work in fighting human trafficking.

Abolishion began it’s vital work in Romania only three years ago and works to break the systems that keep people in sexual slavery.  “Romania is the biggest source country for trafficking victims in the EU States,” says CEO, Leanne Rhodes.  “Sadly, around 60% of these victims are women and 30% are children.  Over 50% of victims are forced into prostitution and sex slavery.  And these are just the cases we know about.  Human trafficking is organised crime, so naturally it is hidden.  You never know the full extent of it.”  

Abolishion spend their time working in four keys areas in order to fight human trafficking:

• Raising Awareness - we work in schools, communities and online to ensure that people know the dangers of human trafficking.

• Professional Training - we work with professional social workers and schools workers on how to identity trafficking in their community and what to do about it.  We also show them how to run prevention programs right where trafficking happens.

• Capacity Building - we work with existing networks and government bodies to tighten the gaps that trafficking victims fall in, as well as helping groups to collaborate so that anti-trafficking efforts are more effective.

• Survivor Care - we are just about to open our first Restore Home to provide a safe environment for those that have survived human trafficking.  We hope to empower these brave survivors to live independent lives. 

Leanne recites, “I still remember the day I met human trafficking survivors for the first time.  There were about 12 girls aged 14-22 that had been trafficked into forced prostitution.  Most of them were very friendly which I wasn’t expecting.  It was like they had regressed back in time to a safe age when things were good.  But there was this one girl who just sat staring at a wall, rocking back and forth. She was completely closed off. I stayed there for a few days and each day she would come closer to me.  On the third day she reached out and held my hand.  She held it for a full hour looking at me with tears in her eyes.  From that day I knew I could make a difference in the lives of survivors, even if it was just holding someone’s hand.  We can all do something."

Thank you GBG for joining with us to fight human trafficking.  And thank you to Avikal for nominating us.  Together we can all make a difference!