Around the world, it is estimated that there are at least 4.5 million people (women, men and children) who are victims of forced sexual exploitation. In the rural areas of Mozambique, Africa, women fall victim to sex trafficking due to the poverty in the region. Families cannot afford to support themselves, and young girls tend to grow up uneducated. Traffickers prey on the desperation in this region, offering these girls a better life and a job where they can make money to support their families. This is a lie that is often told to families and young girls by traffickers. Sometimes, parents are forced to sell their own daughters in order to feed the rest of their family. Young girls will also voluntarily leave their families because they feel a duty to help. In many cases, the girls end up as prostitutes, forced to perform unwanted sexual acts and often seeing very little, if any, money for what they do. If the girls find a way to escape the sex trade industry, they find themselves without an education and without a way to make money to support themselves. Without job opportunities, they are more likely to fall right back into prostitution. Many of the girls have been involved in prostitution since they were 11-14 years of age, so it is the only lifestyle they really know and the only way they know to support themselves and their families.
Free The Girls is a non-profit organization that provides job opportunities to women who have been rescued/have escaped from sex trafficking. Free The Girls sends these women gently used bras that have been donated by people all over the world. In impoverished parts of the world, used clothing is a large market, with bras being a highly sought after item. The women sell the bras in Africa, which helps them support their families and themselves. It also allows them to have time to go to school and get an education so that they don’t have to remain a part of the program forever. Once they can get a more secure job to provide for their families, they open up a place for another victim to be helped out. According to Free The Girls, the program is a sustainable model because “once a program has been started with a safe house, it is designed to sustain itself. The women receive their starting inventory of bras at no cost, and then pay a small amount of money for additional bras once they sell their initial inventory. This money is used to cover the expenses for the next shipment of bras. That means we only raise money to start new projects, not to keep established projects going.” Free The Girls is an amazing organization that needs help in raising awareness to their cause. On April 25th, the Communications department at Avila University will be hosting a bra drive. Students are encouraged to take a few minutes out of their day and stop by Dallavis Center. We will be accepting gently used bras as well as money donations. As busy college students, it can be hard to find the time and the funds to make a difference in the world. All it takes is an old bra hidden away in your bottom drawer or some spare change. Money donations will be used to ship the bras overseas, and any extra funds will be given to Free The Girls to open up new spaces for those who have been rescued. DONATE A BRA, SAVE A LIFE!
Free The Girls is a non-profit organization that provides job opportunities to women who have been rescued/have escaped from sex trafficking. Free The Girls sends these women gently used bras that have been donated by people all over the world. In impoverished parts of the world, used clothing is a large market, with bras being a highly sought after item. The women sell the bras in Africa, which helps them support their families and themselves. It also allows them to have time to go to school and get an education so that they don’t have to remain a part of the program forever. Once they can get a more secure job to provide for their families, they open up a place for another victim to be helped out. According to Free The Girls, the program is a sustainable model because “once a program has been started with a safe house, it is designed to sustain itself. The women receive their starting inventory of bras at no cost, and then pay a small amount of money for additional bras once they sell their initial inventory. This money is used to cover the expenses for the next shipment of bras. That means we only raise money to start new projects, not to keep established projects going.” Free The Girls is an amazing organization that needs help in raising awareness to their cause. On April 25th, the Communications department at Avila University will be hosting a bra drive. Students are encouraged to take a few minutes out of their day and stop by Dallavis Center. We will be accepting gently used bras as well as money donations. As busy college students, it can be hard to find the time and the funds to make a difference in the world. All it takes is an old bra hidden away in your bottom drawer or some spare change. Money donations will be used to ship the bras overseas, and any extra funds will be given to Free The Girls to open up new spaces for those who have been rescued. DONATE A BRA, SAVE A LIFE!
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