Hello Freedom Trade Family!
2017 has been a whirlwind of a year for us and we are more excited than ever! Our voice is beginning to be heard, doors are beginning to open and people are beginning to move as we raise awareness!
We have had numerous opportunities to raise our voice for the global issue of human trafficking. Joyfully, we have watched people leave for vision trips, apply for internships and step up as partners with us. We have taken ground in the neighborhood in India and it is all because of you and your generosity.
We have spoken at awareness events, in homes, to business organizations, charity events and literally pounded the pavement for the first ever Walk for Freedom in Pelham, Alabama.
We have researched long and hard and finally can announce what our freedom business will be! It’s an extensive bath line that you are going to absolutely love. Look for many more details over the course of 2018, as a private label bath line has agreed to partner with us to be the production line for their company. The brothel community we seek to set free is very excited about this opportunity, as are we.
We have become “professional researchers” on this quest for freedom. It has never been clearer to us that to build a bridge to these people is going to take everything we have. All of our best efforts, resources, time and energy are not enough to pull off this major task. We need you now more than ever to continue your support and get involved in any way you see fit. The very freedom of thousands of individuals is in our hands, and it’s a daunting task.
In country, our field team leader has had the chance to work with several nationals and for 2018 has volunteers lined up to join her as well as interns. This will be most beneficial to the research that will go into the production for this bath line.
She spent 2017 building bridges in our community through several efforts. The first being deepening relationships in and around the area we work in. This is necessary to establish trust, something that doesn’t come easily for people who have been exploited in their pasts.
She also secured a place to live near the brothel community to establish our presence among these people. Weekly visits and conversations with the people in the community are important to gain their trust. She had positive meetings with the local land chancellor and local authorities. She even has met with some people that would oppose our efforts and has been successful in keeping our differences civil and peaceful. No small task.
Because conversations are so important, she continued to focus on language acquisition through daily lessons and cultural immersion experiences.
Lastly, she has been working with our mentors (Freeset Global) to steadily prepare for the launching and growth of our Indian private limited company. No doubt there will be a lot of red tape and paper work hoops to jump through to get the business officially started, but that is exactly what we signed up for in the formation of Freedom Trade International. It has been and always will be our desire to offer men, women and children total freedom from the platform of business. So look out 2018! Here we come!
As we look forward to 2018, here are our needs.
1) Conversations with people that would consider a year long in country internship with us
2) Additional financial support to purchase equipment for the bath line production
3) People 21 years of age or older interested in learning to make the bath line for short term trips to India to teach the women that enter our business
4) Opportunities to speak at businesses, churches, small groups and homes (freedom parties)
5) Mentorship from thriving business leaders, especially e-commerce
If you can recommend anyone that can help us in these areas, please contact us at info@freedomtradeinternational.org, or give us a call at 205-948-FREE
We wish you and your loved ones the Merriest Christmas and a very Happy New Year! We cannot thank you enough for your continued support of these pioneering days for freedom!
Until All Are Free, The Freedom Squad