The Emancipation Network
The Emancipation Network (TEN)[http://www.madebysurvivors.com]is an international organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery. It helps survivors of slavery rebuild their lives after rescue from slavery, through economic empowerment, education and help reintegrating into society. IT Works to PReVENT slavery in high risk communities such as red light and refugee communities, by creating jobs for adults and through volunteer trips and donations to their shelter partners for rescue, school fees, emergency needs and reintegration. TEN imports and sell's beautiful handicraft products made by survivors of slavery and persons at risk of being trafficked into slavery. TEN product's can be found online at www.store.madebysurvivors.com 1.
The Emancipation Network, MadebySurvivors, and TEN Charities were founded by Sarah Symons and John Berger in 2005. John and Sarah are married and together have build TEN from the ground up using their personal savings and dedicated community of friends.
TEN combines public outreach and education programs AbOUT human trafficking with income-generating programs for survivors and high risk girls. Staff members, "Ambassadors" and volunteers organize awareness events across the country to educate people about human trafficking and sell the Made by Survivors products. Sarah was inspired to start TEN after viewing "The Day My God Died," a film about [...] trafficking in Nepal and India. She visited Maiti shelter in Nepal and stumbled across a room full of beautiful purses. These handbags were made for art therapy, but Sarah had the idea to sell them in the US and raise money for the girls. The idea became reality and now the selling of Made by Survivors products generates income for both survivors and at-risk groups. Since Sarah's first visit to Nepal in 2005, TEN has expanded to work with over 20 partners in 12 countries.
New Opportunities for Human Trafficking Survivors''
Destiny Productions at the Thomas Clayton Center in Calcutta, India is TEN's newest initiative to help survivors become fully independent, and to slavery-proof them and their children into the future.
One of the biggest problems confronting the shelters that rehabilitate survivors is that the survivors have no place to go. They are often not welcome back in their own community, especially if they were sold into prostitution. Typically they were trafficked at a young age (average 11-12yrs) and have never lived independently. This not only means they don’t have good options for the survivors, but it also means that the shelters can't free up space to take in newly rescued survivors.
To assist survivors in reintegration, this summer, The Emancipation Network, in partnership with T.E.N. Charities, the Clayton family, and three of our shelter partner organizations, opened Destiny Productions at the Thomas Clayton Center in Calcutta, India. Destiny Productions is housed in a rented 3-story house in the Kasba neighborhood of Calcutta. Calcutta is a city of over 18 million people, near the Nepal border in Northwest India. Poverty and human trafficking are endemic there, but there are amazing anti-trafficking NGOs that we partner with in Calcutta.
Rescued survivors who have received several years of aftercare, education, and training at our partner shelters, will now be able to work at the new production center, and support themselves independently for the first time in their lives.
This is truly the last stop on these young womens' Underground Railroad journey. We need help to maintain this program. Please visit www.tencharities.org if you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation.