Woman embarks on a mission to fight human trafficking
A South African woman, who has been at the forefront of the battle against human trafficking, is to be featured in an international documentary.
The independent TV Network Voices for Humanity has been broadcasting a variety of weekly series presenting heroic changes made through faith by nations working to uplift their respective communities.
The documentary premiered at the Castle Kyalami on July 14 and features human rights activist Gloria Matipile from Randfontein. Glory is known to millions of TV viewers across the globe for her life-rescuing work.
Many attended the premiere to support Glory and her courageous work.
With a depressed job market and high rate of unemployment, many South Africans are easily lured to what many believe to be genuine potential jobs that often turn out to be human trafficking traps.
Of those ensnared, only one per cent is ever rescued from this dehumanising and deadly human trade market.
Children and teenagers, mostly young South African women, are trafficked for sex slavery, drug trafficking and organ harvesting.
Glory has made it her mission to rescue victims of human trafficking and to spread awareness and knowledge about human rights in this field.
Her work focuses on educating young people about the dirty tricks and tactics used by human traffickers to lure their unsuspecting victims and help prevent them from becoming victims.
Glory’s determination to become an activist was sparked by the disappearance of a girl she knew and grew up with when she was young. She set out to find her friend, Glory soon uncovered the numerous scams and deceits used by human traffickers.
“I was deeply saddened by the disappearance of this girl and what really hit me was the fact that I knew this person and I grew up with her. All of a sudden she was trafficked. It got me wondering how deep this web of deceit runs. I spent countless nights thinking about how this happened in such a small community and how prevalent it must be in the big cities across South Africa,” said Glory.
It was at this point that the grief-stricken but determined Glory decided to start her organisation Baagi Ba South Africa (The Future of South Africa) to advocate for victims and find a way to rescue them from the shackles of modern-day slavery.
“I needed to stand up for my people,” said Glory.
With her dedicated team of activists, Glory tracks and exposes trafficking rings, saving hundreds of potential young victims from being consigned to a life of sexual bondage and slavery.
Glory and her organisation have since grown to create a widespread presence in communities, in schools, and have brought the message of the importance of human rights to millions in South Africa.
