STAHP (while not only being an excellent imperative statement) is the name of the club I've started at my school. It stands for Stopping Trafficking and Helping the Powerless, and we do awesome things! A lot of people have apparently been really interested in doing it but weren't able to make it to the interest meeting, so I really hope there will be a good turnout when we have the kickoff meeting this upcoming Wednesday!
What are these previously mentioned 'awesome things,' you ask?
We're going to be doing a variety of fundraisers throughout the year like bake sales and whatnot, holding a clothing + shoe drive, selling Freeset bags and shirts at the Holiday Bazaar, and maybe trying to host a speaker from IJM at some point! All the money we raise and the clothes we collect will go to organizations like IJM, Freeset, or other organizations committed to ending human trafficking. And I am open to further ideas!
I know that I can't end human trafficking by myself. Starting a club won't stop it for good, and on a larger scale, neither will the many organizations dedicated to doing just that. But collectively? What if we lived in a world where people were aware of this horrific business? What if we lived in a world that wanted to end the injustice, to take the men, women, and children who have been bought and sold and forced into these terrible conditions and welcome them back with open arms?
I hate that trafficking exists. I hate that it's simply not on enough peoples' radars. I hate that people can get away with enslaving people, with kidnapping girls and selling their bodies for sex, and countless other ways of trafficking people. And I want to do all I can to stop it, because even a little bit is more than nothing.
As the month goes on I'll be doing spotlights on organizations that fight trafficking, and other such things in addition to posting about my outfit each day. Hopefully you find it enlightening and inspiring!
xx Claire
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