SAVAGES

Human Trafficking. Defined as the the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Notice the use of the word illegal. It is contrary to, or forbidden by law, and the ethical values by which all humans should stand by. This criminal activity has been going on for decades and has not seen a significant decline in numbers over the years but has in fact only experienced a growth. It is now an approximately a $150 Billion industry made out of over 35 million people. This staggering number of affected people are made up of not only men and women but also children, who make up 26% of this number. Children. As a student, I find this fact not only disturbing but devastating, where children who are entitled to a home, education and proper care are now subjected to forced labour and sexual exploitation. That has to change. Below is a statistical diagram which is based on collected data from 2014 is included: it depicts the estimated distribution of victims on a global scale.

As you can see from the diagram, almost 56% of the victims are found in Asia. That's a large percentage. So, in relation to this statistic, almost 16.2% of these people are found in Malaysia; it is a destination, a source and a transit country for human trafficking. 12% of these victims are made out of children, who have been stripped of their rights as a child and as a person and have been subjected to inhumane activities. With this all being said, how can you help in this cause? How can you take a stand against this problem?

Well, you can help out through a donation. No matter how small the value is, once accumulated through the support of many, it will become an amount which can make an impact in a victim's life. A donation can become a sum of funds which could be used to support educational programs for children who have survived and have been rescued from the ordeal of human trafficking. This education can then sow the seeds in each one of them , where it can grow into dreams and ideas which can develop them into future leaders, people of change, people of impact and people of possibility.

How do I know this? Take Nadia Murad Basee Tahafor example. A Yazidi woman and a survivor of this horrific ordeal of sexual exploitation and torture. who had been enslaved at the hands of ISIS. She is now a human rights activist, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and since September 2016 the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the United Nations.

This year, all donations will go towards Suka Society (Suara Kanak-Kanak), which revolves around a victim-centric approach to protecting and improving the lives of trafficked children and women. It aims to help children in detention, human trafficking survivors and Orang Asli children. Our team, which consists of 8 people who are representing HELP International School, have chosen to allocate all the donations we have received towards educational programs, where we hope to give back the chance that has been unrightfully taken away from them. Adding to this, a challenge has been made for three team members in our team, who have willingly accepted to shave their heads for this cause on the 3rd of November 2016. This is done as a statement of removing their 'crowns' to show their displeasure towards this problem and to show their support in the fight against human trafficking.

Further information on this topic can be found below via the links attached and should you have any enquires regarding updates or questions, you can directly contact the team leader on Facebook via this link facebook.com/ian.chee.9 .

We thank you for your support and donations and we wish you well.

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