Freedom Cycle.
We are taking action to help give women who are trapped in South-Asia's largest sex-trafficking industry, a life of freedom and self-worth.
Canterbury
We are Freedom Cycle, a group of students cycling from Christchurch to Bluff to make an impact on the sex-trafficking industry. Our mission is to raise as much awareness of this issue as possible, and to promote Freeset and freedom businesses like it, as well as raise money to allow them to employ and free more people. During our tour, we will visit schools and churches to deliver talks to specifically, our own age group, promoting Freeset and social action in general.
There are over 45.8 million people in slavery today. The number will continue to balloon as more of the world’s poorest 2 billion are exposed. Our specific focus is sex-trafficking, a major issue in the world today. It is confirmed that over 4.8 million people live their lives trapped in this horrific form of modern slavery. But in truth the figure is far higher. It is estimated that there are 9 million people trapped in this industry, in India alone.
Freeset's freedom-business model, is a sustainable solution to combating this worldwide issue.
Freeset exists specifically to provide freedom for women and children from the sex trade, women who were forced into prostitution by trafficking or poverty. These women and children didn't choose their 'profession', it was chosen for them, them being often forced into this evil industry at a very young age. When they choose to work at Freeset, they can start new lives, regain dignity in their communities, and begin a journey towards healing and wholeness.
All profits from Freeset in Kolkata benefit the women (salary, health insurance and retirement plan) and are used to grow the business. This means more women can be employed out of this terrible form of modern-day slavery, and experience freedom. The Freeset Trust is a charitable organization which operates alongside the business, also providing literacy classes, child care, budgeting and debt management services. Freeset was birthed by Kiwis as a response to this big challenge in the world; its aim is to give the choice of freedom to women trapped in prostitution as a result of exploitation and human trafficking.
Any donations made to this page will go directly towards Freeset's Gateway Project, the name for the development of the Freeset manufacturing and community building that stands at the gateway to one of, if not the very largest red-light district in the world. Over 10,000 women per square mile are condensed into this horrific hub of trafficking, and the Gateway building stands at its very entrance, a place where prostitutes and costumers alike must walk by to enter the district. Having Freeset’s freedom business stationed there proclaims to the broken community … “we're here for FREEDOM and are prepared to stand up against the effects of human sex-trafficking!"
The Gateway Building is specifically how the money we raise will dramatically increase Freeset’s ability to offer the choice of freedom to hundreds more women through the creation of sustainable business and increased social services.
Freeset trains and employs the women who produce awesome fair-trade bags and apparel, which are sold online around the world, check their products out here:
https://www.marketplacers.co.nz/our-suppliers/freeset
Our Message:
The foundation of Freeset’s, and our mission, is choice. To give these people choice in their lives, so they can live their life with value and self-worth; people who never had the freedom to choose any of their ordeal in the first place.
The simplest and best thing that we can do through this is to simply raise awareness, through talking about it, even though it may be hard. If our action helps change just one person’s life for the better, then this will all be worth it.
There is little excuse not to act, whether it is cycling or otherwise, for social action should not have to pre-require anything. We are called to simply start with what we have. As well as promoting this awesome business model, this is the message we will be sharing, specifically to people our own age. The perfect time for social action is now, whatever the cause. Be courageous in choosing to do something, because it doesn’t have to be big, it only has to be something.
It all comes to down to choice.
Proverbs 3:27
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
Some great further links:
About Freeset:
http://www.freesetglobal.com/about-us/
http://freesetincubator.com/?cat=15
About human trafficking:
https://www.notforsalecampaign.org/why-exploitation/
https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/
https://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/11-facts-about-modern-day-slavery
About Sonnagachi:
https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2017/10/09/forgotten-children-sonagachi
https://www.unodc.org/southasia/en/frontpage/2010/March/red-lights-of-sonagachi.html
Freedom Cycle's involvement (page creator)
We are Freedom Cycle, a small group of students cycling from Christchurch to Bluff, to make an impact on the sex-trafficking industry in Kolkata. Our goal is to raise as much awareness of this issue as possible, and to promote Freeset and freedom businesses like it, as well as raise money to allow them to employ and free more people. During our tour, we will also visit schools and churches to deliver talks to specifically, our own age group, promoting Freeset and social action in general.
Use of funds
Any money you kindly donate will go directly into allowing Freeset to employ and free more women, from this widespread life of pain and exploitation.
Other page links
Latest donations
Who's involved?