The term ‘Modern Slavery’ sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? One would believe that humanity has progressed and slavery had ended in the battlefields of the American Civil War. But, that is not the case as over 27 million enslaved people across the world are victims to human trafficking as it remains the battlefront of the century.
Regardless of nationality, victims are systematically stripped of their identity, battered into gruesome submission and made to perform humiliating sexual acts with multiple strangers every night. Held against their will, most are forced to take illegal drugs and are kept under constant surveillance. On average, victims are thrown into such ghastly oppression at age 13. Some are outright abducted, while others are lured out of poverty, romantically seduced, or sold by their families.
Kezia Hatfield, is the Director of Restoration for Exodus Cry (www.exoduscry.com ) which is a group that ministers to the victims of human trafficking. Their objective is to rescue victims, restore them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and reintegrate them into society. Their approach is threefold through local outreach, international missions, professional counseling, and micro-development. Prayer, awareness, and action is key to the fight to end slavery.
Human ( Sex ) Slavery Facts
· 27 million people are enslaved in the world
· Human Trafficking ( sexual, domestic, industrial, and agricultural ) is a $32 billion dollar annual industry
· 2 million children are involved in the international commercial sex trade
· 80% of trafficking victims are women and children who are forced into the commercial sex trade
· The average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the United States is 13
Facts from the United Nations, Unicef, US Dept of State, and US Sept of Justice
Many have heard of the ‘red light district’ in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is an area where ‘legal prostitution’ exists in the streets and alley ways typically in single room cabins illuminated with red lights. Over the past several weeks, many across the country have viewed the documentary entitled Nefarious : Merchant of Souls (www.nefariousdocumentary.com) which is footage including interviews, dynamics of the sex trade, and focus on unveiling the sex industry.
Exodus Cry’s prayer request is this :WHENEVER STOPPED AT A ‘RED LIGHT’ PRAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THE AWARENESS OF, AND FOR THE WORK OF EXODUS CRY.