Building freedom from traditional slavery
In Mauritania, we work together with our partner to support people who escape traditional slavery, which still persists in the country.
It is extremely difficult for people who were enslaved from birth, particularly women, to build their lives in freedom. We provide emergency support and a network of female mentors to start this difficult process and help establish themselves in local communities.
We also provide literacy and vocational training, which is bringing spectacular successes. Today, for example, 368 women are thriving after our project gave them training, equipment and funds to run small businesses.
We’ve also enjoyed big successes in bringing slavery cases to court, with two harsh sentences given to former masters, which resonated across the country. There have only been five previous slavery convictions in Mauritania’s history, so this is a big step forward to ending slavery in the country.
Tarba: story of freedom
Tarba is one of the people we stood with after she escaped. She was born into slavery and worked without pay – her life completely controlled by her masters. “I did not rest. I slept little, I was beaten, I was insulted.”
She eventually ran away and was given literacy and vocational training by our project. “Today, I feel free, I know where I am going, what I can do.”
Stand up for people in slavery in 2020
Join us to help more adults and children this year