There are more people who live in slavery alive today than during the entirety of the European/ American slave trade. Conservative estimates place this number at over 4.5M people in just Asia, including women and children.
Through our partnership with local pastors in South East Asia, we are able to secure freedom for slaves. Due to concerns for the safety of our partners, we can’t disclose many of the details, but what we can say is that we have found a way to secure their freedom and avoid them becoming slaves again.
The vast majority are in slavery over a medical debt for a life-saving procedure. The initial loans are never more than a few hundred dollars. If they can’t make the payments they are taken as slaves to work off the debt in brick kilns. Fines, interest, penalties, and other unethical charges are levied making it physically impossible for them to ever pay the debt. A debt that is passed down to their children if the parent dies.
The average cost is $327 per person. That’s not a typo. People who have been living as slaves, oftentimes for their entire life, are able to go free for $327. Entire families are set free together for less money than a weekend at Disney World. This includes enough to help them get on their feet and help them establish a source of income.