See the Need at Christmas

Here is a small taste of what a Christmas gift can do.

From Need: 
the humanitarian magazine

People are being enslaved, and entire families are forced to work to pay off debts they can never repay. International Justice Mission is freeing these slaves.

There are 27 million slaves in the world today. People are forced to work without pay, under the threat of violence and are unable to walk away. -Free the Slaves

It is impossible to know how many people in India are forced to work as slaves in brick kilns, silk factories, salt mines and rice mills. Justice organizations estimate that 10 to 15 million are enslaved throughout India and the number is growing. Poor people are forced or tricked into slavery through the practice of debt bondage. Slave owners offer loans that can be paid off through labor, and once the loan is accepted, the owners charge the worker for all kinds of living expenses and set insurmountable interest rates to ensure that even small loans can never be repaid. An individual's family can be forced to assume the debt, which becomes a vicious cycle that enslaves entire families for generations. Debt bondage has been outlawed in India for more than 30 years, but very little is done to enforce anti-slavery laws.

Families freed from slavery approach the brick kiln where they now work together earning fair wages.

Since 2000, International Justice Mission (IJM) has been fighting to free slaves in India. After uncovering evidence of slavery, it reports and litigates these cases and assists local officials in raids to liberate forced laborers. Once the former slaves are free, IJM assists them to obtain official government release certificates and receive the aid needed to rebuild their lives.

"The problem of slavery is obviously massive. There is much work to be done - but we believe that change is occurring. Ensuring that the millions of men, women and children held in slavery receive the protection that they are guaranteed by their country's own laws will create the structural change that will bring this brutal form of oppression to an end." -Sean Litton, Vice President of Field Operations International Justice Mission

Former slave families carry flags and banners in a mock olympic ceremony organized in part by IJM. "Many sang their national anthem for the first time ... as free citizen[s]," says IJM Communications Manager and photographer Ted Haddock.

IJM staff works undercover to find and document conditions of slavery. In doing so, they have been threatened by mobs and chased while working to end slavery. IJM staff then presents evidence of slavery to local police and officials encouraging them to enforce the laws against this practice, prompting local officials to conduct raids to free the slaves. Upon their release, IJM works to meet victims' immediate needs, providing food, temporary lodging, transportation and other vital support. The staff ensures that victims of forced labor receive the assistance that is available through the government. Children are enrolled in school, and adultsreceive the support they need as they begin to rebuild their lives. IJM monitors former slaves for several years after their release to ensure they stay free and secure.

To read the entire article please see Need; Issue 4: Work