According to Tear Fund, there is an estimated 21 million people trapped in slavery around the world. But a group of Kiwis want something done about it.
Live Below the Line is challenging all Kiwis to eat and drink on $2.25 a day this week to raise money to help the estimated 20 million people trapped in slavery.
It's the uneasy reality for some kids as young as 12.
Murray Sheard says, “Thousands of people are lured, coerced and trafficked into sexual slavery every single day. They are treated as possessions and used for sexual exploitation and labour. The average age of victims is only 12 years old.”
Sex trafficking is on the rise internationally. Live Below the Line challenges all Kiwis to eat and drink on $2.25 a day up until Friday.
Teina Rima says, “It's about rice and the noodle bro, so gone are the day of the steak and eggs and the kumara for a few days, but it’s worthwhile.”
Rima works with troubled youth in Manurewa but he wants to extend his work to the world.
He says, “Those are some of the things I care about, you know, I care about people but I don't have the time to put into it, working in that area so I thought maybe this might be a real positive way to be involved.”
With only one day down and four to go, Teina hopes he can make a difference and help stop sex trafficking.