“Be The Change 2013, fundraising for; Ratanak International are delighted to have this opportunity to once again to create awareness and needed funding to assist in the human trafficking crisis in Cambodia. While Human Trafficking is not unique to Cambodia, and is a growing global epidemic, political conditions and lack of support in that country in particular make it a very good place to start. Global Human Trafficking statistics:
 Child/Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. Child/ human trafficking is the world’s second largest criminal enterprise, after drugs.
 The global market of child trafficking is estimated to be over $31 billion a year with over 1.2 million child victims.
 The average age of entry for children victimized by the sex trade industry is 12 years.
 Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls and up to 50% are minors
 600,000 – 800,000 people are bought and sold across international borders each year; 50% are children, most are female. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade.
 An average serial child molester may have as many as 400 victims in his lifetime.
 Reports of exploited children grow every year, in 2009, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children received more than 120,000 reports on its cyber tip line. In 2010, the number grew to over 160,000 with the vast majority being from child pornography.

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. The traffickers are reportedly organized crime syndicates, parents, relatives, friends, intimate partners, and neighbors.

When we first began this journey with Ratanak in 2010 we were unsure of the response we would get from Ottawa. I’m delighted to report that the response has been overwhelmingly positive and we are building momentum. Now, when women, in particular, hear about the good work Ratanak is doing to rescue and rehabilitate children sold into the sex trade in Cambodia and learn that the average age of a little girl sold into sexual slavery often by her own family is 5 – 8 years old, they can’t help but think about their own little girls whose lives are so much safer and privileged and will never likely include the atrocious conditions that exist in Cambodia. Most people upon being invited to support this cause immediately jump in!”

These tees are being worn by the “youth Team” girls 16 and up who are volunteering their time to work the event on September 25th 2013.