There are currently 45.8 million people living in modern day slavery.
That’s over double the amount of people that were enslaved at the peak of the transatlantic slave trade and it’s more than the population of Ireland and Australia combined.
Everyone thinks of slavery as something that ended in the 1800’s with the abolitionists. But it didn’t. Instead it went underground and with the huge rise in global population, the globalisation of production lines and our insatiable demand for cheap goods, it has flourished.
Today, slavery is in every country on earth and is linked to almost everything we do. In fact there’s even a tool online where you can find out how many slaves work for you – it’s developed by Made in a Free World and they calculate your slavery footprint. It’s only an estimate of course but gives you a good idea of how you’re connected to modern day slavery. We took the test and together, we have a total of 68 slaves working for us, with Matt coming in at 33 and Reece with the lions share of 35. That’s a pretty harrowing thought when you really think about it.
Of course, nobody wants to employ people in slavery but as we never actually meet these people, or even learn much about them, we are completely detached from the issue. So, even with the best will in the world, it can be incredibly hard to know what to do for the best.
That’s why we decided we would travel around the globe telling the real stories of those most affected by slavery and other humans rights abuses. This way, by working with local organisations on route, we can clear up any confusion and highlight the supply chains which keep people enslaved, whilst, at the same time, we can bring the issue closer to home by telling the stories of the people affected, meaning we will all be able to personally relate to the issue.
The only catch is that we’re going to visit these people on one ridiculous mode of transport – a scooter with a sidecar. Because we believe that if we can reach all of these people on a scooter with a sidecar (the most inappropriate mode of transport imaginable), then maybe they’re closer to home than you might think.
But we don’t want to stop at just the story telling, even though changing our perceptions and actions back home will give slavery one serious kick in the teeth, it won’t be enough to end it once and for all. To do that we need to support the organisations that are fighting modern day slavery every day so that’s why we’ll be fundraising for WalkFree.org and others on this expedition.
We’ve set a target of raising £50,000 through this absurd, world first expedition. A minimum of 50% of the total raised will go directly to organisations fighting slavery and other human rights abuses. The majority will go to WalkFree.org and some will go to the local organisations we will work with on route. The rest of the money will go towards making the expedition happen which will include buying things like visas, equipment and guides for the dangerous places.
This crazy expedition won’t end slavery on its own but with your support we can definitely change lives for the better. Please share this blog and help us spread our message.
Post on the board