Hello Freedom Trade Family,
We would like to thank you for your support this year. It has meant so much to us as a new organization.
This has been a year of learning. We found out we have a lot more to learn! Because of generous supporters like you we were able to have some vital in-country training. We made numerous relationships within the state of West Bengal and gained some mentors through a 14-year-old organization called Freeset Global (freesetglobal.com). Freeset has a “business incubator” and have offered to walk with us through the journey of establishing a new freedom business. It is going to take some time, but freedom is worth it. We need to learn the local language, do some market research and learn how to take care of rescued women well.
Our first full time field worker leaves January 2016 for India. Once in country she will enroll in the local university to work on language acquisition, continue to form relationships within the community and learn from our mentors. We have one business that particularly interests us at this time. We are researching to see if it would be a success in our area. The rest of our “freedom squad” will be busy raising awareness about human trafficking that occurs in India and working on raising the capital funding to launch our new freedom business. We hope to increase our team in 2016. There is so much to do to take on preventing human trafficking. We are confident that more will join us on the journey to freedom. Heal Our World is planning a medical clinic in our area. They have 38 years of experience, and we are hopeful to be partnering with them in our endeavors.
In 2016 there are several ways you could help us! First, your continued support is vital. We can’t bring freedom to one person without your support. Second we need opportunities to share our vision. One of our team members would be happy to make a Freedom Trade presentation at your place of work, community or church. We also need old keys. We repurpose these keys into necklaces to raise awareness for human trafficking and put the profit of the sale into our greatest need. Our greatest need currently is for our field worker and our capital fundraising for our future trust and freedom business.
We would love for you to see our vision first hand. We would like the chance to take you to Kolkata, India for the “freedom tour.” There are several freedom businesses in that area that are happy for you to have a look at how they bring freedom to the enslaved of India. We are glad to call them friends in freedom. Currently within one square mile of Freeset Global there are 10,000 women trapped inside the local brothel. We have witnessed this tragedy first hand and with your support we can change that number. Write us through the contact page of our new website if you would like to make a trip to our area.
Your support provided funding for vital in-country training, 4 human trafficking awareness events, secured housing in country for two members of our team, an updated website, business cards, a phone line for our organization and donations to partner organizations in country that have provided freedom to over 300 women! With your support we equipped local indigenous workers that are building relationships inside the local brothel. Our team volunteered to provide health care for those below the poverty line and met tangible needs of the poor in the area as opportunity presented itself. We were able to purchase keys from the community to be repurposed here from people living below the poverty line. Preventing poverty is the number one deterrent to human trafficking. We hope to continue to have opportunities to secure resources directly from the community to uplift them and discourage them from selling their children into the sex trade, usually unknowingly. We wish we could say we directly provided a way out of a brothel this year for a woman. It's a long process and there are several obstacles to overcome to get to the place where we can offer a woman a choice, rehabilitate her and get her ready to work a regular job. We are committed to moving a step towards our vision every single day, and with your help we will unlock freedom for many that are enslaved. We hope you will patiently and faithfully take the journey with us to establishing a successful freedom business. Our business cannot fail because our women have no where else to turn.
Please look at our new shop. We have some new products to offer this holiday season, and we hope to add more products throughout the year.
Have a Happy New Year! As we ring in 2016, continue to help us #UnlockFreedom! Wear your keys, follow and like our social media posts and invite us for a visit!
The Freedom Squad
