Day jolling for a cause

With clear skies and loud thumping music in your ears and motorcycles revving their engines, no place was more exciting to raise awareness for human trafficking in South Africa.

The Tainted Souls Motorcycle Club’s West Rand Chapter held a fundraiser at the Old Post Office Pub and Grill, partnered with The Pink Ladies and the authors of Vicky, a true tale about human trafficking, to raise funds for the production of a mini-series based on the book.

Hendrick Berg, one of the authors of Vicky and many other informative publications about drugs and abuse, were part of a volunteer team that helped the police to raid potential drug houses.

“We found a room that was bolted shut with steel pipes. Two girls were found inside, chained to a bed like dogs,” Hendrick said.

One of the girls, Vicky, wanted him to write a book about how she was taken into the sex trade, how she escaped and her road to recovery.

“People do not realise how real human trafficking is in South Africa and even in the West Rand.”

Jath van der Westhuizen, co-author of Vicky, social worker and film producer at Grip Productions, feels that a film about Vicky would expose the human trafficking trade and warn young boys and girls against becoming victims like Vicky.

Wendy Skeens, The Pink Ladies’ Operations Manager in Gauteng, told the News that many missing persons’ cases are actually human trafficking and that a person should be reported missing as soon as suspicion arises.

“The is no waiting period to report a person missing,” she said.

Throughout the day, different prizes were won, and many donations made towards raising awareness for human trafficking through the Vicky series.

Charles Stockenstroom, Tainted Souls’ Club President, is very passionate about the cause and is very proud to be a part of the campaign.

“We want to involve the entire motorcycle community to support this cause.”

Hendrick believes by using the motorcycling community, more people will be reached.

“Between all the day jols and fun days, a message will come through.”

This message is that in South Africa, anti-trafficking campaigners and non-government organisations claim that 30 000 children are trafficked into the country annually as part of the sex trade. The same figure has been used by the Department of Home Affairs to justify recently introduced visa regulations aimed at combating child trafficking.

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