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Human trafficking is a real problem. The more we know, the more we realize that there’s much work to be done!
Thankfully, there are so many of you already starting to do that – clubs, groups, committees, and individuals are all stepping up to help get behind this horror. Thank you!! Fergus Elora Rotary Club has several members also already doing the work. “We don’t see that there’s a choice really’ says Youth Services’ Director Barb Evoy. “Our Interact Club has chosen this as both their local and their international projects, and are showing incredible interest in helping to move the needle on change. In fact, the Rotaract Club out of Guelph has joined in as well, and we are so excited to see the two groups working together moving forward!” If you'd like to learn more about their upcoming initiative - Coldest Night of The Year- a virtual walk and fundraising event, please visit https://cnoy.org “If not Rotary and Rotarians, then who?” questioned Incoming President Leanne Iravani. “It truly makes all of this so much easier to navigate, when so many of us are already on the same page!” confesses Evoy.
Although it’s usually young women between the ages of 12- 25 years, victims can be as young as 6 or as mature as 50, and can be any gender. The purpose of this article is not to scare you or to anger you, rather to help make you all aware of the amazing work already being tackled by so many Rotarians, right here at home, as we strive to work together to educate and inform as many people as possible. The number of cases within our District is astonishing and with the continued development of technology, and that we now see more reasons than ever for people to be sitting online (the major space to find and recruit young victims), we have also seen a rise in activity. “We are geographically located in what I call the Bermuda Triangle; between Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa where the primary Canadian tunnel currently exists” explains Evoy, “and that suggests the work should start here!” Brenda Halloran (soon to be District Governor Elect) has also joined in on the work, recognizing that this problem is both on-going and won’t be ending any time soon. Evoy has been named Chair of the District Human Trafficking Awareness Committee and looks forward to working with our clubs, the members, and the many community partners currently stepping into the ring and choosing to work as a collective, to raise awareness for all. Schools, churches, spaces like the Elora House (the primary recipient for several local clubs’ fund-raising initiatives and the only house in our area built entirely for the purpose of receiving victims of human trafficking) and countless community partners, are all rolling up their sleeves and asking how they can help. And that is exactly what Rotary looks like – putting service above self!
Submitted by Leanne Iravani
Rotary Club of Fergus Elora