Following a volunteer trip to India in October 2016, I was inspired to help the 'Made by Survivors' and 'Animal People Alliance' Charities.

SLAVERY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, BY THE NUMBERS:

29 million people are enslaved in today’s world, according to the United Nations

One million children are trafficked every year for sexual exploitation

100 million girls are trapped in child marriages

200,000 children are exploited in child labor

Average age of victims at the time of trafficking: 11-14

In modern day slavery, human beings are bought and sold on an international market, for amounts ranging from $80 to $5000 or more. They have no control over their lives or their children’s lives: where they live, or what work they do (usually dirty, degrading or dangerous). Being enslaved is extremely hazardous to human life and health – for example 22% of child slaves in India do not make it to adulthood.

Sometimes slaves are kept captive with literal chains or bars. In other cases threats of violence, or actual violence keep enslaved people from running away. Some people do not even realize that they are slaves, or that slavery is illegal. Millions of families toil as slaves for generations, to satisfy debts typically under $50, in the practice known as bonded labor.

Animal People Alliance is the newest project of Made By Survivors, a charity established in 2005 to fight slavery and empower women and girls.In South Asia, where we work, there are millions of neglected animals on the street. In many cities, like Calcutta, there are very few animal services and those that do exist are unable to provide enough basic help for all the suffering and homeless animals. Local communities are overwhelmed by the problem, and in many cases, street animals are stigmatized and badly abused as a result.