Displaying items by tag: ijm

In an effort to protect survivors of bonded labour from further exploitation, the government in Tamil Nadu, India, has established an herb garden for families of the Irula tribal community. The garden provides ten survivor families and thirty other families with the opportunity to cultivate and sell a diverse range of herbs, medicinal plants and fruit-bearing trees. Having secure job opportunities will prevent them from obtaining loans from unscrupulous lenders who prey on their vulnerability. The herb garden is the result of a proposal which the Released Bonded Labourers Association (RBLA) had submitted with the help of IJM. It is part of many others that the government has been regularly creating, from helping survivors and other vulnerable families earn a stable income to establishing a first-of-its-kind, holistic community for survivors. The herb garden is significant as it preserves the knowledge of traditional medicinal herbs. Following the launch, an RBLA leader gave a tour of the herb garden and said, ‘I hope this will inspire other survivors to come forward and access government welfare measures’.

International Justice Mission (IJM) supported 14-year-old Hana to testify against a serving army officer who sexually assaulted her. Braving a military courtroom and facing the intimidation of officers dressed in army green uniform, Hana won her case. He was jailed for 14 years. Pray that this sentence sends a strong message to the community that abusing children is a crime. Pray for Hana’s healing. Bolivia’s Global Survivor Network uses shadow theatre, songs and presentations to raise awareness about violence against women and children and the problem of victim-blaming. Pray that God can work in the hearts of the people who attended the events so that this crime decreases in Bolivia. In Guatemala, IJM trained 43 judges on trauma-informed and victim-centred approaches that ensure survivors are treated with compassion and dignity. Pray that as justice system providers learn how to interact with and serve victims better, investigations and prosecutions will be more efficient.

Over 700 people in one South Asian district were brought to freedom from trafficking by IJM-trained police at the end of 2022. The runup to a new year is the riskiest time for low-income workers. As industries begin recruiting people for manual labour, human traffickers deceive people with false job offers and trap them in slavery. But police officers intercepted 65 traffickers at train and bus stations as they waited to transport families to abusive businesses. Also, a government initiative brought freedom to over 1,400 children last month when police conducted an expert sweep of businesses to find children forced to work in bonded labour and hundreds more in other dangerous conditions. The authorities also arrested hundreds of suspected abusers.

Thousands of children are trapped in slavery in Ghana. Families are deceived and children are being trafficked to work in the fishing industry on Lake Volta, living under violent abuse and the threat of drowning. Courage Hope spent five years of his childhood trapped in slavery until a friend, IJM and police brought him to safety. Today, he leads a network of survivors, advocating for an end to child trafficking. Although he still finds it difficult to talk about it, he wants his story to lead to change and is working on an appeal to help stop child trafficking. His experience is a sobering reminder of the reality of child trafficking. But we have a powerful God who is able to work in and through us to bring about miraculous change.

IJM reports, ‘Last week we celebrated justice for IJM lawyer WK, his client and their driver. Three police officers and one civilian were convicted of their murder’. Prior to 2016, few police officers had ever been convicted for murder - despite many instances of police abusing power. But in the past five years, 45 officers have been convicted on murder or manslaughter charges. This gives hope to victims and families of police abuse that justice is possible. ‘Also, praise God for the acquittal of an innocent IJM client in Kenya. He was framed for a crime he didn't commit. During the trial, the prosecution failed to produce any witnesses. He is now free, but please pray for him to be protected from further false accusations.’

Praise God for the conviction of an Australian man who was found guilty of online sexual exploitation of children. He has been sentenced to 14.5 years in jail after paying almost a half a million dollars to exploit Filipino children sexually online. Please continue to pray for the fifteen victims rescued in this case, and that his conviction will bring them peace and comfort as they continue the road of healing. Meanwhile in India, a sex trafficker was sentenced to seven years in prison for exploiting women and girls, and a brothel was permanently closed in Mumbai, releasing the survivors of sex trafficking who are now receiving rehabilitation at an aftercare shelter.

Please pray for IJM Ghana staff and partners to be inspired with wisdom and innovation as they seek to identify and investigate cases of trafficking in the fishing industry. Pray for reliable sources of information that leads to the rescue and protection of many children exploited for labour on Lake Volta. In South Asia, please pray for IJM teams distilling and disseminating key information from recent studies to highlight the areas of greatest need. Pray for the approval of Philippine’s National Police Women and Children Protection Centre to become a National Operating Support Unit. The approval would allow the unit to be given a larger budget, enabling it to direct rescue operations of online sexual exploitation of children. IJM’s offices in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland, and the Netherlands all need more team members and funding.

Many of Ukraine’s refugees are women and children travelling alone. Fuel shortage means they must walk great distances in winter weather, facing risks of trafficking and violence. Ask God to give them endurance and peace as they seek safety, and to be invisible to traffickers or anyone wishing them harm. Ask God to give the volunteers from local communities strength and perseverance as they work in freezing conditions to help refugees cross borders. Pray for good communication between charities and churches coordinating transfers from the border to shelters, and the forward journey. May these networks remove the risk of refugees accepting transport offers by people traffickers. Pray for God to bless and empower those providing food, supplies, and sim cards. Pray for the IJM teams currently training NGOs in how to support people with complex trauma. Pray for the success of traffic awareness flyers being put in passports and for the authorities to quickly identify signs of trafficking.

A Swedish perpetrator involved in the online sexual exploitation of children has been found guilty. With the evidence collected and a videotaped interview with the survivor, IJM’s Philippines team successfully persuaded the Swedish court to find the accused guilty. The perpetrator was ordered to compensate the victim £20,000 and is likely to appeal. Please pray the conviction is upheld. Praise God that two young boys were brought to safety after escaping from bonded labour at a duck farm. They had been enduring increasing violence and managed to run away. People in the village brought them to local authorities, who took care of them and confronted the farm owner. Praise God for the compassion and proactivity of this community. Pray for the owner to be arrested and that the boys can receive the aftercare they need.

Praise God for a recent conviction in a South Asia sex trafficking case from 2015. The International Justice Mission supported local authorities after they rescued a minor girl and arrested a trafficker. The police, judge and prosecutors were all sensitive to the victim throughout the trial and remained focused on securing justice - leading to a strong ten-year sentence. IJM said, ‘We are so grateful for compassionate authorities helping protect thousands of girls from being abused’.