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**The Challenge**
This September, the whole TRIBE community are coming together to rally their tribe and take on an epic 100km, 42km or 21km walking challenge to help fundraise £10,000 for the TRIBE Hike for Freedom survivors programme. Empowering survivors of modern slavery and exploitation to regain their freedom and independence.
There is a reason that they called this Hike for Freedom and this is it for me: It has helped me to find the freedom, the voice, the spirit and the positivity that I've been looking for... People have told me you can't do this, you can't achieve this, you're not this, you're not that, but after today, nobody will tell me you can't do this or you can't achieve this. This has topped it all for me.
(One of 15 survivors of slavery and exploitation who took part in the TRIBE Hike for Freedom Three Peaks Challenge, 2019)
What's the "once-in-a-lifetime" hike you have always wanted to do or the famous landmark trail in your local area youve never found the chance to complete? The summer is not over yet - now is our chance to get out, enjoy the changing seasons and push our limits to help fight for freedom.
Let's do this!
**Why?**
Modern slavery is the commodification of people for the purpose of exploitation and financial gain. There are currently more victims globally than ever before. In the UK alone, an estimated 136,000 are living in modern slavery and globally the number is 40.3 million.
In September 2019, a group of 15 inspirational female survivors took part in the TRIBE Hike for Freedom: Three Peaks Challenge, in partnership with the Helen Bamber Foundation. This was the pinnacle of a six-month hiking and training programme which gave survivors of modern slavery the opportunity to rediscover their inner strength and recognise their capabilities.
This year, plans were in place to develop and grow the TRIBE Hike for Freedom project as a structured six-month programme of fitness and outdoor activities helping survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking to improve their well-being, regain their independence and freedom through fitness and nature.
Although this has been postponed due to COVID-19 we are now celebrating the first of the walks taking place this year and we will be developing the project to grow as planned throughout 2021. By working with multiple project partners, we also aim to increase cross-charity collaboration to enhance wider long term support for survivors of modern slavery.
**About us**
TRIBE Freedom Foundation is on a mission to fight modern slavery and end human trafficking. We work by raising awareness of trafficking, supporting survivors and enabling frontline projects to prevent modern slavery. We empower communities to create an impact.
Together, we go further and faster.