In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk to Melody Towns from the wonderful charity, Be Her Freedom.
What is Be Hers?
Be Her Freedom (the foundation arm of Be Hers) was formed by a group of girlfriends who were horrified upon hearing of the size and scope of modern-day slavery and felt compelled to do more.
They are honoured to have a movement of thousands of passionate, everyday women – all determined to raise funds and awareness for the freedom of men, women and children held in sexual slavery across the globe.
Through their fundraising with Be Hers, they continue to be amazed at the generosity of those across their community, nation and beyond. Together they continue to raise much-needed funds and awareness regarding the issue of human trafficking and the need for this to be brought to the forefront of the world’s attention. Whilst they may not be able to save all 48.5 million held in captivity today, they are determined to not ignore the cry of the ONE and do all they can to bring HER freedom.
What is Be Her Freedom?
Be Her Freedom is an event run by Be Hers that aims to raise awareness and funds for those trapped in sexual slavery. They partner with The A21 Campaign to see freedom, hope and justice restored to these victims. This event is aimed at women and empowers the everyday woman to use what is in her hand to make a difference for others. Be Her Freedom events run in multiple locations across Australia, uniting together to make a stand to be her dignity and her freedom.
The A21 Campaign
According to The A21 Campaign, there are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in human history. Men, women and children are being exploited for manual and sexual labour against their will. The average age of a trafficked victim is just 12 years. Human trafficking by definition is the illegal trade of human beings, and is the world’s fastest growing criminal industry, affecting every nation across the globe.
Every thirty seconds, someone is forced into this type of bondage which is nothing short of modern-day slavery. With only 1-2% of victims ever rescued and only 1 in 100,000 traffickers ever convicted, The A21 Campaign stands to abolish this injustice through prevention, protection, prosecution and strategic partnerships across the globe.
The A21 Campaign has fourteen offices in eleven countries. They offer shelters and transit homes for victims, legal counsel, education in schools and continue to form strategic partnerships with law enforcement, service providers and community members to meet a comprehensive set of needs for those rescued from bondage.
Last financial year Be Hers was thrilled to send off $80,000 raised from donations and Be Her Freedom events to support on the ground projects, including the beginnings of an A21 Child Advocacy Centre in Cambodia, where exploited children can find safety and justice. They also focused on sustainable change, purchasing computers and sewing machines to educate and employ women and girls rehabilitated from the She Rescue Home. Other partnerships that they have assisted with include a new home for one of the She Rescue Home House Mums after hers was burnt down, refurbishment of the She Rescue shelter, providing medical assistance, training and even new teeth to a survivor! These are just some of the ways they have been able to give due to generous donations.
Human trafficking and sex-slavery really is a global problem
We know we used to think that this was a problem for predominantly third world countries and that it wouldn’t occur in the western world. How wrong we were!
Did you know that human trafficking and sex-slavery is rife in America? The Super Bowl, one of America’s biggest sporting events, is known to cause a spike in trafficking. This is so horrifying, but Paedophiles will fly in specifically to go to the Super Bowl as pimps will have children ready for them to sleep with!
It really is everywhere and across every vulnerable community in the world.
Why have we partnered with them?
We had heard about the fundraiser ball Be Hers that is run each year and had tried to get tickets in previous years to no avail. Last year we were lucky enough to snap up some tickets so off we went with some girlfriends for what we expected to be a night of fun.
Yes, lots of fun was had, but the staggering statistics conveyed to us at the ball regarding sex-slavery around the world was not only staggering but also totally heartbreaking.
Let’s just for a moment take in that figure from above, that 48.5 million people are held in captivity around the world! That’s double the population of Australia being held in captivity and human trafficked for sex-slavery! This is utterly devastating!
So, suffice to say, we knew we had to do something to help. We had been searching for a charity to partner with for a while and after attending the Be Hers ball we knew this was the one for us.
Where does the money donated through Additive-Free Lifestyle actually go?
Be Hers have set up the Be Hers Foundation. 100% of all donated money coming from Additive-Free Lifestyle goes directly to fund the projects that they have on the ground.
They do not use any of those donated funds to pay for the foundation’s overheads. The overheads are funded through corporate sponsorships. The manpower involved is also supplied by those people generously volunteering their time.
This means that the money you donate is going directly to the projects where it is needed the most, such as The A21 Campaign detailed above.
What can you do to help?
Donate money
The simple answer is to donate money. Be Hers need as much as they can get to continue on with the incredible work that they do.
Don’t forget that donating money to charity is tax deductible so keep your receipts and claim it back at tax time. It’s a win/win for everyone.
Head on over to here to donate >>> Be Hers
Ice-Cream e-book
You can also purchase a copy of our Ice-Cream e-book whereby 100% of the cost of the e-book is donated to Be Hers.
Yes, that’s right, you get homemade additive-free ice-cream recipes and all those warm and fuzzy feelings knowing that your purchase has gone straight to an amazing charity.
Head on over to here to purchase >>> Ice-Cream e-book
Donate when you shop with Additive-Free Lifestyle
When you’re doing your shopping over on our website at Additive-Free Lifestyle, you will see there is now an option to donate to Be Hers at the checkout cart, so if you have a few spare dollars it’d be amazing if you could add this to your cart.
Can’t afford to donate?
Then we encourage you to share this podcast episode around on social media with your friends and family to raise awareness of Be Hers with hopefully the added bonus that more donations will come in that way.
Volunteer your time
Be Hers are always looking for people to generously donate their time at their fundraising events held in Tasmania.
Head on over to here to register your interest >>> Volunteer
Stay tuned
In the coming months we will be coming up with more new and exciting ways to donate and support Be Hers, so stayed tuned for that.
Together we can BE THE CHANGE!
Alone we can do so little but together we can do so much. Help Be Hers spread the word and invite your friends to follow their social pages and share with them what Be Hers is all about. If you have a business why not consider collaborating with Be Hers, or if you’re passionate about this cause and would like to intern please let them know. It’s amazing how together we can actually be a real change in these lives and see them not only rescued from the horrors of sexual slavery but loved and valued. Let’s use our sphere of influence to do all we can to help bring justice to those in captivity.
Together in partnership with The A21 Campaign, who work on the front lines of human trafficking, WE can be a voice for the voiceless, and an answer to their unheard cries. Through partnerships, collaborations, donations and events, Be Hers stands together to fight for freedom, and place value and dignity upon women and children.
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