Love146 (End Child Sex Slavery And Exploitation)

In 2002, the co-founders of Love146 (http://www.love146.org/) traveled to South East Asia to witness first hand the atrocity of child sex slavery and the hope of abolition and restoration. While there, Rob and Lamont (the 2 male founders)went undercover with professional investigators into a brothel. In that brothel, they witnessed little girls standing behind a wall of glass, each wore a matching red dress with a number pinned to her chest; they were watching children’s cartoons on small television sets. Men were purchasing these girls by the number pinned to her dress. As Rob and Lamont looked at these children watching cartoons they were struck by the eyes of each child. Their eyes seemed empty, without spark of life, like robots. And then there was #146. The only one not watching cartoons, she was staring back through the glass with fire and fight left in her eyes, there was still life there. In her eyes they found their calling. In her number came their name.

I think what Love146 provides is a wonderful system of prevention and aftercare for children who were trafficked, prostituted, and abused.  While they don't actually rescue these people from brothels, they do work closely with agencies that do.  For those curious about how many are affected by trafficking/ slavery, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimate that 1.2 million are children trafficked annually.



Issues that arise from trafficking include:

- HIV and other serious illnesses
- Psychological trauma
- Loss of educational opportunities
- Loss of family and community
- Increased vulnerability to further abuse

Some of the main reasons trafficking exists include:

- Lucrative business: 12 billion dollar per year industry
- Weak law enforcement
- Demand for commercial sex and for cheap labor
- Poverty and lack of economic opportunities
- Discrimination
- Low social status of girls

Anyone with a child, whose been a child, or who likes children can understand why this serious problem of modern-day slavery needs to be stopped.  If you would like further ideas of how you can help support this cause, check out these links:

Love146 youtube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/Justice4Children
Love146 myspace page:  http://www.myspace.com/love146
Love146 twitter page:  http://twitter.com/officiallove146
Love146 on facebook causes:  http://apps.facebook.com/causes/1533/45056902
Love146 store:  http://love146.storenvy.com/products
Love146 news:  http://love146.org/news
Love146 blog:  http://love146.org/blog
Love146 stories (my favorite part!):  http://love146.org/stories

Or, if you could find it in your heart to give $5 to Love146, enter your mobile number below:





<3 and peace, Helena