“Modern Slavery isn’t legal anywhere but happens almost everywhere, including here in Australia. There are more slaves today worldwide than at any other time of human history.” – Karine Woldhuis (For Freedom co-lead) 

For Freedom is the anti-trafficking and exploitation ministry of SIM globally. Its responsibilities include coordinating SIM's global anti-trafficking response and providing training, support and strategic guidance to SIM workers, local churches and partner ministries worldwide. 
 
The ministry is focused on the prevention of human trafficking and outworking our Biblical mandate to safeguard those most vulnerable in the 70+ countries where SIM is present. 

“At its core, human trafficking involves the exploitation of vulnerability,” explained Karine. “By addressing the root causes of vulnerability, people and communities are kept safe from exploitation and the risk of trafficking.” 

SIMaid’s Equipping for Trafficking Prevention (ETP) partners with For Freedom to provide seed funding for SIM work globally to prevent human trafficking in vulnerable communities. Recently, For Freedom worked alongside the SIM Paraguay team to support indigenous communities in rural areas. The SIM team have been actively involved in church planting ministries within these communities for many years. These communities face numerous challenges, including food insecurity, loss of traditional lands due to urbanisation and their proximity to the border. Often, community members must leave their land in search of work opportunities. This makes them highly vulnerable to the risk of human trafficking and exploitation. 

The For Freedom team praise God that SIMaid’s ETP project provided funds to support a capacity-building project in response to these challenges this indigenous community face. The project helps our team in Paraguay support sustainable development through egg-laying hens and fruit trees, address malnutrition and help with physical and mental development for children and pregnant women. Additionally, the project helps integrate a trafficking prevention strategy, supporting the holistic wellbeing of First Nations communities by creating a means of generating income generation without requiring them to leave their community.   

Last year, the project distributed 100 chicks and 140 fruit tree saplings across 5 communities. The local village chiefs have strongly supported the project, resulting in diligent care for the hens. The initiative has already shown promising results, with the hens now laying eggs and the fruit trees growing steadily. 

ETP also builds the capacity of the village and church leaders to teach communities about risks of trafficking. The leaders are taught how to identify common risks in their area, such as false jobs and labour exploitation. SIM is working alongside church leaders and members in communities who can provide the on-going spiritual support and help build community resilience. All of these activities work together in protecting the vulnerable by reducing risks of trafficking. 

The SIM team eagerly anticipate the impact of this project on these communities’ overall health and safety. 

FIND OUT MORE: Do you or your church want to partner with For Freedom? Visit sim.org.au/forfreedom to find out more.

GIVE: Do you want to financially partner with the work of SIMaid’s ETP? You can give a tax-deductible gift by visiting sim.org.au/etp.