Here are some facts:
- Slavery is not legal anywhere but happens everywhere.
- Modern slavery shares two key characteristics that distinguishes it from slavery in the past: slaves today are cheap and they are disposable.
- There are 27 million slaves in the world today. The majority are children.
- Slavery: Forced to work without pay, under threat of violence and unable to walk away.
- The modern-day slave trade is now called human trafficking.
- The average costs of a child slave can be as little as $40 – $90
- Slave holders use many terms to avoid the word slavery: debt bondage, bonded labour, attached labour, restavec, forced labour and indentured servitude.
- Obstacles stand in the way to ending slavery: lack of resources and lack of awareness.
- In Haiti, there is an estimated 225,000 children (mostly girls between the age of 5-17) living as a "restavek" or slave. That's 1 in 10 children in Haiti!
In the western African country of Ghana, there are an estimated 7,000-10,000 child slaves. These children are as young as 5 and 6. My niece and nephew are that age. I can't imagine them being forced to work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Recently I heard someone being asked if they would ever be involved in a country like Haiti or Ghana. Their response was an adamant "NO!" The reason they gave was "it's like spitting in the ocean. There's so much need out there, does it really make a difference?" Though I can understand the immense need, it shouldn't stop us from trying. A life is a life, no matter how small it may seem or how vast the need is.
Here's a ministry that is making a difference, one child at a time. This Labor Day, please take a moment to view this short documentary and ask the Lord how you can make a difference in the life of a child.
Mercy Project Website: http://mercyproject.net/
Mercy Project Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mercyproject
Mercy Project Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/mercyproject
