October 2016
In This Issue: Rescue Mission 2016
Annual Reception
Community Outreach
Rescue Mission 2016
Thanks to our supporters, RTBF rescued five young children, Koby, Elijah, Kojo, Bright, and Kwame. Eric Peasah, joined by law enforcement officers, saved the boys from the hazardous fishing trade on Lake Volta, Ghana. (Click on the photo to watch a video of the rescue mission).
Eric Peasah (left) with Elijah and Ghana law enforcement officer.
Elijah Bright
The children are going through the rehabilitation process and are enrolled in school. Bright said "I am very happy to receive all the school supplies from Right To Be Free."
Koby Kwame
After his mother died, Kwame, originally from Togo, was trafficked from Nigeria, to the Ivory Coast, to Cotonou Benin and finally Ghana. After suffering years of abuse he has been reunited with relatives in Togo.
Kojo
On a recent monitoring visit to Kojo's school, he said "Thank you Mr. Eric. I will study hard so I can become like you." The headmaster of his school commented "We often find it difficult to get teaching and learning materials for the children and this always impedes our line of work. I am much happier and grateful to Right To Be Free for their generous support of Kojo, because his school supplies will help him study ahead of the other children. Thank you Right To Be Free."
Annual Reception
RTBF's reception was held at Knollwood Country Club in Lake Forest, Illinois on October 2nd. The annual event, which is free and open to the public, provides an opportunity to share information about RTBF and an update on our accomplishments.
We appreciate Congressman Bob Dold's attendance and his remarks on behalf of Right To Be Free and the success of Congress in passing anti-human trafficking legislation. Guests watched the video featuring highlights of this year's rescue mission and messages of gratitude from reintegrated children. Special guest speaker, Eric Peasah, talked about the rescue mission and the anti-child trafficking symposium he organized in Ghana.
Eric Peasah, Lori Dillon, Congressman Bob Dold
Guests enjoyed refreshments, raffle prizes and the silent auction.
Community Outreach
During Eric Peasah's visit to the U.S., he and Lori Dillon gave complimentary presentations to schools and community organizations, including the Rotary Club of Chicago-O'Hare, Lake Forest Academy, and Walter Payton College Prep. Part of RTBF's mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking and educate the public about the strategies and tactics used by traffickers. Jerome McDonnell of WBEZ also interviewed Eric and Lori as part of their Worldview Global Activism series. You can listen to their interview here.
Eric speaks to students at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago.
Lori and Eric talk to Jerome McDonnell at WBEZ's studio in Chicago.
Right To Be Free continues to raise awareness of human trafficking while saving its most innocent victims from the most remote regions along Lake Volta. They endure relentless abuse while performing work that threatens their safety, sometimes with deadly consequences. We continue to partner with other stakeholders to bring real solutions to at risk communities to prevent child trafficking and provide support to rescued children so they can regain their health, both physical and emotional, and fulfill their dream of going to school.
Children who have experienced extreme abuse feel their childhood has been taken away from them. It’s stolen, finished and gone forever. The life they had a chance to live is over. You have the power to change how their story ends. Please give so they can live to rewrite their story.
Please partner with us to bring freedom to enslaved children!
All operating costs are funded internally; 100% of every donation directly serves trafficked children.
You can support RTBF just by shopping at Amazon online. Amazon’s Smile Foundation will donate .05% of your purchases to Right To Be Free. Your account is exactly the same on Amazon and AmazonSmile. Click AmazonSmile's link to shop for the benefit of RTBF and in the future, shop at Smileamazon.com and your Amazon purchases will help save a child’s life! It's quick and easy!
