WOMEN’S DAY Awareness Campaigns Against Human Trafficking

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TESTIMONIES – PAROW CENTRE


We had the wonderful opportunity to, once again, hand out balloons to the children at Parow Centre. Over 1000 balloons were distributed, with Scripture messages on them. There were many happy children walking and running around with colourful balloons.

“Some of the comments people wrote on our Email List sign-up sheet clip board: “good eye-opener”, “great stand and inspiring”, “awesome and informative”, “you opened my eyes and changed my mind.”

Campaigning Against Human Trafficking
Abrie “trafficked” dozens of people by saying “we are offering well-paid jobs, no experience necessary. Would you be interested?” If they said yes, he sent them to the table where I explained to them, “Sorry, the offer was fake. We told you this to show you how easy it is to be tricked into being trafficked!” I then told them how we can evaluate job opportunities by asking the right questions. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true! The 0800 222 777 Anti-Trafficking Resource Line (manned 24/7 by A21 Campaign) can also help check out the company/person if you suspect that a job opportunity may be a scam or a front for trafficking. 


Conversation Leads to Conviction and Conversion
I had a good Gospel conversation with one of the young women who came to our table as result of this “trick”. She said she is a “believer”, but when I probed further, she started to cry when I explained how, without Christ setting us free, we are slaves to sin. We often find ourselves going back to the same old sin, even when we know that it is destructive for ourselves and others! I explained further that when Jesus gives us a new heart, with new desires, He also sets our will free from being in bondage to our sinful nature. When we are born again, we can overcome sin through the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling within us. I asked her when she going to truly repent of her sin and surrender her life to Christ? She said “when she gets home”!

Freedom in Christ
Abrie gave his phone number to a man that he shared the Gospel with. This man later phoned him and said that he is really struggling with alcoholism and he would like to give his life to the Lord!

Testimonies from Traffick Victims
One shopper said to me, “I am so shocked, I did not know trafficking was happening in South Africa.” He later carefully read through the National Freedom Network story board banners that give five different real-life personal stories of trafficking at our display.

Fighting the New Drug that Feeds Human Trafficking
I spoke to two different teachers interested in us giving the Traffick Proof presentation at their schools. One of the teachers also shared with me how she caught two boys from her class looking at porn on their phones. She shared with me how she felt ill-equipped to explain to these boys the dangers and destructiveness of pornography. The boys were not ashamed of what they were doing and were accessing the porn very easily on the internet via their phones. This teacher took a stack more of our Stop the Traffick and Fight the New Drug leaflets for her Life Orientation class, who will soon be required to write an essay on such issues.

Free Gospel DVDs for Those Who Completed Evangelistic Survey
Some of our volunteers told every shopper walking past that they could receive a free DVD at our table. This was true, but only if they completed our evangelistic survey! This meant that we had people queuing up at our table to do the survey! Thankfully, several of our volunteers were equipped to go through the survey with shoppers. We soon ran out of our Gospel DVDs, although we also had New Testaments to offer them.”

- Taryn Lourens

TESTIMONIES – LONGBEACH MALL


“We, as Traffick Proof SA, hosted multiple awareness campaigns in malls across Cape Town. At Long Beach Mall in Sunnydale, Jonathan, Nick, Cameron and Emma handed out Traffick Proof pamphlets to shoppers and little bracelets as gifts to women. There was a steady flow of shoppers all day. The women were all very happy to receive gifts, as was evidenced with the beaming smiles and many Thanks.

A Gangster’s Testimony
We had some very interesting conversations with passer’s by, one of which was with an ex-gangster who was very aware of the horrific trafficking going on, even in our communities in Cape Town. The opportunity arose to share the Gospel with him, which really stilled his spirit and with glistening eyes he asked for prayer for the Lord’s guidance and protection. Even the toughest characters are overcome with the overwhelming love and grace of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Many shoppers came and thanked us for the work we were doing and had many lovely words of encouragement.”

- Emma Vaughan-Jones


“I Know All About Human Trafficking! I Work for the UN!”
“One lady I spoke to asked what it was all about. I replied that we were raising awareness against human trafficking. ‘Oh, I know all about that!’ she answered. ‘I work for the UN.’ We discussed it further and I mentioned that a lot of the problem involved absent or missing fathers. She disagreed, saying that the problem was women who weren’t strong enough. ‘A strong woman’, she maintained, ‘would choose the right kind of man, not one that would leave’. I pointed out that men often ‘sow wild oats’, leaving children behind with the woman. She countered that a ‘strong woman’ would not ‘pick up the seed’ and that anyway a ‘strong woman’ would have the ‘strength’ to go to the clinic and have an abortion!

It was quite odd, with the usual ‘blame the man’ attitude being reversed.

A second lady was also aware of human trafficking, as her hairdresser had posters up, against it, in the salon. However, she did not know the extent of the problem and was shocked when I told her there were over 30,000 children enslaved in South Africa. It is encouraging to know that there are other people raising awareness against human trafficking.”

- Nick Collins


“I had a good conversation with a pastor from an independent Pentecostal church in Ocean View. Pastor Dan was not aware of the hugeness of the Human Traffic industry and was surprised to hear about the inroads it has made in our society, especially in Cape Town. He agreed to the fact that it is a form of slavery and is a very big money making industry and that it must be exposed.

One of the women I spoke to was a Christian, and expressed her gratefulness for promoting awareness against human trafficking. She was very encouraged to know that people are reached with the Gospel through the wordless Gospel colours bracelets we handed out as free gifts.”

- Jonathan Soeker


TESTIMONIES – CANAL WALK


“Our team was very fortunate in being placed in a busy area near the Pick ‘n Pay entrance of Canal Walk. We are most grateful to the Marketing Management team of the centre for allowing us to be there.

This awareness campaign stretch over a period of 12 hours. From 9am until 9pm. As requested, we did not hand out balloons. However, our focus was very much on handing out the STOP the Traffick leaflet, as well as free bracelets to the ladies.

We had many fruitful conversations with passersby and only a very small number of people were rushing past us without wanting to take a leaflet. Every lady who received a bracelet were very thankful and it also opened a door to many conversations. It became clear that there is a great number of people in Cape Town who are not aware of the human trafficking epidemic.

Two gentlemen, on separate occasions, asked us whether they could have a bunch of our leaflets. One gentleman is a Geography teacher and he wants to hand a leaflet to each of his students. The other wanted to hand it out to friends and family.


We also had a few occasions in which people walked straight up to our display and immediately asked how they could get involved. Our pull-up banner, which reads ‘Women and Girls are NOT for sale’ attracted a lot of attention and we believe that the banner itself can create an awareness, make people think and even do further research on this topic.

I pray that God will work in the hearts of those people we reached at these malls and that they will spread the news and help create a greater awareness within our country. It is a further hope that the statistics in the leaflets will encourage people to act and that the organisations and contact details in those leaflets will be kept on record and will be used by the public.

Please stand with us as we pray that the seeds sown will be used by God for His glory and for saving lives.”

- Tershia de Klerk

Approximately 30 Volunteers helped us distribute over 3000 STOP the Traffick leaflets and other tracts throughout the malls.

We have been conducting these “Missions in the Malls” every Women’s Day since 1995.

Over the last few years, we have been receiving increasing resistance from mall management. By God's grace, and after much prayer, we were welcomed into three shopping centres in the Cape Peninsula.

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”Acts 17:16-17

Malls are a great place to reach people who rarely leave their homes except for work or shopping. They are the marketplaces of the city. Like the Apostle Paul who stood up in the marketplace of Athens in Acts 17 and reasoned with the Jews and the Greeks, we too have to make a bold stand for truth and against human trafficking.




Also see:
Slavery Today - Setting the Captives Free
Atrocities of Modern Slavery
A Tale of Two Islands
William Wilberforce - Setting the Captives Free

Video - Exposing and Opposing Slavery Today

Reclaim Your Community for Christ

CoR Manual Free PDF

Fight for Life Free PDF

Christian Action P.O.Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa [email protected] - 021-689-4481 - www.christianaction.org.za
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