Hey guys,

Thanks for taking the time to click on my JustGiving page and find out a little bit more about Human Trafficking and why I feel this is something that really needs our attention right now. 

Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. It's important for us to question the media and I'm aware that nothing is factual, but there are literally hundreds and thousands of people that are going missing and there IS a re-occuring theme. By the time you've finish reading this at least 16 people would have become victims of trafficking (the current average stands at just 30 secs!!!).

My personal interest in this cause started through my own curiousity in watching unsolved crimes cases on YouTube. So many of these cases were missing persons - "where is?" stories, with so many of the theories ending in the victims being sold into human trafficking. I took the time to explore this - listening and reading the stories from survivors and it really is the stuff of nightmares; it's hard to believe that this exists so close to the places we call home but the reality is that this is hidden in plain sight. I'm extremely empathetic to others, and seeing how these people around the world are suffering sat really heavy with my spirit...

If you know me personally you'll know I ramble but please, please stick with me to learn more about the work that STOP THE TRAFFIK are doing to contribute to this fight and how your donation will be supporting this, ways you can continue to support from your own home and (the more fun, lighthearted part of this) the raffle draw and prizes that are up for available when you donate. 

I did a lot of research into UK charities that were authentic in their mission to tackle this and were actually taking real, tangible action to create change.

"STOP THE TRAFFIK is working to prevent human trafficking and modern slavery around the world. Our goal is to build resilience in the most vulnerable of communities and disrupt the criminal networks that operate within them.

Given the organised nature of these crimes, we believe that the only way to combat them is through intelligence-led prevention. We are collecting data from around the world and building intelligence. The findings are then shared to generate targeted action, build resilience, and systemically disrupt human trafficking."

The money you donate will be used to continue developing intelligence-led preventative technologies & campaigns whilst also creating a high-risk environment for trafficking to happen. Check out their IG or website to see exactly how theye're changing lives with their efforts. 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/stopthetraffik/

Website: https://www.stopthetraffik.org/

How else can you help at home?

1. Raising awareness of this day (issue) in your own circles. The more people that are talking about this, the more people are willing to contribute their efforts towards this fight. Until recently I didn't even know that there was a globally recognised day dedicated to raising awareness - if you can share one post and that gets just 1 person engaged, that's one more voice. I truly do believe change starts at home. 

2. Spotting the signs of human trafficking. Sadly these evil people live amongst us, which means that these victims live around us are people we could be crossing paths with in everyday life. Here are some things you can look out for: https://www.stopthetraffik.org/spot-the-signs/

3. Report any suspicious activity or incidents use the STOP app. I downloaded the app & it's incredibly user-friendly if you sadly find yourself in a position to use it:  https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/stop-app-end-human-trafficking/id1100550852

4. Educate and learn what to look out for. Modern technology is accelerating the pace of this with trafficking recruitment, abuse and exploitation occuring on some of the platforms we use everyday. Check out the #humantraffickingawareness or #savethechildren hashtag. I came across a lot of insightful posts that highlighted codes and platforms that these people are using to signal to others. This is also where people (particularly vulnerable women and children) are most easily targeted and lured.

Your donation and raffle prizes:

Your donation is really valuable and means so much. I whole-heatedly believe that if you're reading this and donating then this is because you genuinely do care about this cause; offering prizes is a very small way for me to say thank you. I got in touch with a few small businesses in my network and these guys didn't hesitate to get involved. With their support I'll be doing a raffle draw and will be giving away the following prizes:

1. @michaellharper - Michael is a professional graphic designer and is offering a free consultation and custom logo design

2. @bakesbynaomi - Naomi is giving away a box of 6 cupcakes from her classic or premium category, with your choice of flavour(s)

3.  @_theartroom - Katherine is a Brow Specialist based in London and is giving away a £150 voucher off any eyebrow treatment (microblading, ombre or combination brows)

4. @dinewithdina - Dina is an Omani/Zanzibari foodie and will be giving away a choice of her signature brownies or a 1-1 virtual cooking class (choose from a selection of recipes)

5. @twocrumbscakery - Princess will be giving away a box of 6 stuffed cookies with your choice of flavour(s). 

6. @fat_macys - These guys will be giving away a Fat Macy's Tea & Biscuit gift package 

All donations are really appreciated and will guarantee you entry into the raffle draw. 

To all the business that have contributed - I can't thank you enough for the time, resources and energy you're giving to support this and offer up your services at no cost to me.

The prize draw will take place on Friday 7th August. If you've got this far; firstly thank you for sticking with me and reading more, thank you for donating and thank you for showing your support.

To be honest this is a bit of rabbit hole and I was shocked, and continue to be shocked by the things I'm seeing in my research.You don't have to believe in pizzagate or satanic rituals to know that human trafficking for forced labour, organ theft, sex trafficking, arranged marriages ect does exist. The sad reality is that as it currently stands, this is an issue that is way above our heads. We shouldn't however be discouraged if our actions are doing something to save one less person from this sinister reality.