WHY
Slavery abolished?
Even though slavery is officially abolished, it still takes place on a large scale. Not only far away, but also in the Netherlands, men and women are trafficked, exploited, mistreated and abused on a daily basis.
Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative forms of crime, with low chances of being caught and high profits. Victims are vulnerable, also because they are often distant or kept out of sight of family and resources.
The 2bfree Foundation is committed to helping survivors of human trafficking and other serious injustices. With 25 staff members, we help 30 women each year.
Some anonymized stories of courageous women to whom we have provided professional shelter, assistance and empowerment:
“I was going to work in a hotel.”
With her family she payed for a plane ticket so she could earn money in a restaurant in the Netherlands.
Instead of working in a restaurant, she was locked in a blinded room in a city in the Netherlands.
The door opened only to let clients in.
Clients could also take her for an hour or a night for a fee, and do what they wanted with her….
***
” My husband sold me”
Her husband abused her, but her daughters from her first marriage allowed her to cope with life.
Until she was sold by her husband to a trader.
Several times she was resold, from one country to another.
Finally she ended up in a village in the Netherlands, where she had to have sex with dozens of men every day.
Because of the corruption she was used to in her home country, she did not dare to go to the Dutch police.
The fear and pain caused by what she had to endure were dwarfed by the worry for her daughters.
How long would it be before they would be sold by their stepfather….
***
“I finished my studies”
After graduating from college, she was married off.
Her husband was violent and she looked for a way to escape.
An acquaintance introduced her to someone who could take her to Europe.
Already during the trip things went wrong and she was sold on.
Because she did not want to cooperate, she was first sent to a “breakhouse.
Thereafter she was a good source of income for the traffickers…
