In It to End It

Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking.) It reportedly generates a profit of $150 billion every year.

In the midst of doing work among poor communities and orphaned children in Southeast Asia with LightBridge International, I remember hearing someone say that WITHOUT the sex industry, the countries I was working in would take too great of an economic hit if a crime of this enormity was actually eradicated. So while laws could be passed that are/were established to technically make such an industry illegal….the reality was/is that many of these laws would never be enforced to protect the victims who truly suffer from it.

It made my heart sick.

I realized the bigness, the massiveness of the problem.

The 3rd largest crime industry in the world is seen as a benefit to these nations, not as the sick darkness that comes with it..

What in the world can we do?

How could we possibly make a difference?

I think it’s questions like this, that make us swallow hard and bring us close to not knowing if we can really make a change where I’ve witnessed birth to some of the most innovative, brilliant and creative ideas to bring light into the darkest situations; to advocate for victims, many of whom live next door to us.

We can’t just know and not try. Even if trying means failing.

I helped start a company. A small little company that may not make a dent in such a giant statistic, but without limitations to the possibilities that it could. Why not?

At LandMine Design we’re asking the question, “What if women never had the chance to BE trafficked?”

What if preventing the possibility from ever happening was possible?

Prevention has the possibility to CURE the crime.

Nations have the potential to thrive economically without hurting human beings.

We’re in it to END IT.

By Co-Founder and Program Director, Amreitha Jeeva