The Emancipation Network- with a handbag giveaway!

The United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs estimates that 27 million human beings are victims of some form of slavery, forced prostitution or similar exploitation. Approximately half of these people are under the age of 18.

Let that number sink in a bit

27 million

That is more than the population of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York combined. These victims, mostly women, are treated as commodities- 800,000 of them recruited, tricked or trapped like animals and taken from their own countries. It is a way of life the average American could never even fathom. Slavery and forced prostitution are so distant to most of us that there is no face or name to the numbers. And I suspect many in this world prefer it that way.

I'll admit that I hate reading statistics like the one above. It makes me sick to my stomach, leaves me feeling helpless. How can human beings be so cruel and evil to one another?But I try not to suppress those feelings because I believe that ignoring the ugliness in this world leads only to inaction, passivity. I never want it to be said that I did nothing.

Being just one person with limited resources restricts what I can do, and I never feel I do enough. So I am thankful for people like Sarah Symons and John Berger. Symons and Berger are the founders of The Emancipation Network (T.E.N.), a non-profit organization that fights human trafficking through "empowerment, education and hope". The Network provides funds for victims through products made by the survivors. This is an incredible program that genuinely strives to give victims a voice.

In order to help get the word out about the important work being done across the globe, T.E.N. has generously provided one of their "eco-chic handbags" in blue as a giveaway for my readers.

A high-quality, handcrafted bag with a hip earth-friendly edge, these handbags are made from reclaimed plastic bags. So not only is this item benefiting a victim of human trafficking, it is also eco-friendly.


T.E.N. not only does handbags but clothing, beautiful jewelry, home décor and gifts. If you are looking for a unique Mother's Day gift T.E.N. is absolutely worth checking out. Don't forget to head back here and enter my giveaway when you are done shopping!

Giveaway Rules
To win this adorable bag you will have to do just a bit of work. Please be sure to follow the first step closely in order for additional entries to count.

First Entry- Visit the T.E.N. website and tell me one thing you have learned from the site. It could be a product you love or some new information, just show me you have made a good faith effort to check the site out.

Additional Entries

• Tweet this giveaway and post a link to your tweet (one entry per day)
• Follow @KatherineforTEN on twitter and leave your twitter name (one entry)
  
• Blog about T.E.N., T.E.N. products or something you have learned about human trafficking (5 entries)
  
• Purchase any product from T.E.N. or make a donation of any amount, tell me which you did (5 entries for each done)

The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Entries will be accepted until 12 AM CST, April 30^th to allow enough time to get this out to you for Mother's Day.

Best of luck!

Jessica