Thursday, Feb 27th, is the day we
Spread the Word
To participate please draw a RED X on your hand. Snap a pic and then Share it using #ENDITMOVEMENT. Let’s make FREEDOM go viral.
Here’s the story of just one person who has been rescued, thanks to the good work of International Justice Mission.
Fourteen-year-old Eliza came from a deeply unstable home and was desperate for a job so she could survive on her own – heavy burdens for a young girl to carry alone. Eliza was pleased when she was hired at an upscale club in metro Manila as a waitress. But instead of waitressing, the owner sold and forced Eliza to have sex with paying customers in the back room of the club. Eliza’s innocence was stolen from her. She was raped, beaten and used over and over again. This nightmare continued until a rescue team, working with local authorities, coordinated rescue operations at 10 different bars in Manila where children were being sold for sex. Eliza was finally free and safe for the first time in her life.
Now Eliza is living a full life with a bright future. For 3 years, she received counseling, education, and physical care at an aftercare home.
The rescue team brought the case against the bar owner to court. After a long trial spanning 4 years with many twists and turns through the judicial system, the bar owner was convicted of Qualified Trafficking, the most serious trafficking crime under local law. He was sentenced to life in prison.
The number of people just like Eliza who are ruthlessly enslaved around the world is heartbreaking. Sadly, most of their stories do not end with FREEDOM. From factories to brothels to private homes to fields, more than 27 million people are living as modern-day slaves with little hope of rescue.