Fear Itself with Cressida Bonas

The identity of my guest this week will be kept secret in order to protect her and her family. For this purpose, I will be calling my guest Jenny throughout this episode. Jenny grew up in the North West. Her Dad left when she was small and her mum, who is of South East Asian descent, raised Jenny and her 2 sisters. At 13 Jenny was groomed and trafficked by her neighbour. This abuse carried on until she was 23 when she finally managed to escape and get help. The salvation Army found her a safe house where she received after care and support. Knowing that there’s much more needed to be done for victims of trafficking, she went and qualified as a social worker and is about to study at a UK University specialising in modern slavery. Jenny says she is grateful to be alive and is now grabbing all of life’s opportunities. She is passionate about elephants, Thailand, loves cooking and can speak several languages. She loves art and writes poetry in order to lift others up. 

This episode is not sponsored, but I'd like to talk about The Anti-Slavery Collective. There are more enslaved people today than at any other point in history and, at any one time, someone is being trafficked within a mile of where you live. We often associate slavery with chains and shackles, but modern slavery is a hidden crime that is hard to detect. The Anti-Slavery Collective is an independent collective fighting against the global epidemic of modern slavery by raising awareness, convening changemakers, and highlighting the amazing work of the movement. The Anti Slavery Collective's mission is to raise awareness for modern slavery as a global epidemic. They encourage law enforcement agencies, policy makers, journalists, academics, NGOs, companies, individuals, and survivors to collaborate and share ideas on how we can fight human trafficking. There are currently 40.3 million victims of modern slavery in the world, it's a global crime that requires a global response. William Wilberforce once said, “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know."

If you suspect that you or someone you’ve come across could be a victim of modern slavery and in need of help call The Salvation Army’s 24/7 confidential referral helpline on 0800 808 3733.

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid 19 **