11/04/16

Woman Walks Length of NZ to Fight Slavery

Rebekah Clews, 24, has completed a 3,000 kilometre walk down the length of New Zealand to raise money for the 21 million people around the world trapped in slavery.

Clews landed in Bluff last Tuesday, after three months of walking the mountainous terrain of the South Island. She completed the North Island leg of her journey the year before.

Clews suffered multiple injuries during the South Island leg of her trek, including a sprained ankle on which she continued to walk for 20km, causing severe swelling and the inability to remove her boot.

Despite her injuries, Clews is adamant that the physical and emotional strain of her journey is “nothing compared to what the men, women and children trapped in slavery experience every single day, especially in sexual slavery.”

Clews first came across sexual exploitation when she was on a holiday in Cambodia in 2010.
“Some children, who were about eight years old tried to prostitute themselves to me and my group of friends” says Clews. “I was totally horrified and that moment just stuck in my memory. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

So far Clews has raised over $6,000 for Tearfund; an aid and development organisation which works to fight human trafficking and slavery. Her goal is to raise $10,000.

Tearfund works with local organisations in South-East Asia to prevent human trafficking, rescue and rehabilitate victims, and prosecute perpetrators.

Slavery and human trafficking statistics:
• 21 million people are trapped in slavery
• Only 1-2% of victims are ever rescued
• 20% of slavery victims are trapped in forced sexual exploitation (4.5 million)
• Slavery earns criminal networks US $150 Billion in profit annually
• Forced sexual exploitation earns criminal networks US $99 Billion in profit annually
• 33% of detected trafficking victims are children
• 49% of detected trafficking victims are women
• 18% of detected trafficking victims are men

To support Rebekah’s efforts and donate to Tearfund’s anti-trafficking work visit www.givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/walkingnewzealand or www.tearfund.org.nz/protect

Ends

© Scoop Media