Hope for Justice exists to change lives and end slavery. I work for this charity in Scotland as their training and development officer – because human trafficking exists in Scotland too.
In 2017, it was recorded that victims of slavery in Scotland originated from 32 countries. Significantly, out of all these countries, Vietnam accounts for 43% of those who came to our nation that year. Also, the United Kingdom had the highest figures in Europe for human trafficking victims from Vietnam. Scotland, as a home nation, has proportionally the highest figure for Vietnamese victims of human trafficking.
When we become attuned to this issue we become more alert to the proliferation of nail bars in the high streets, which have amongst them unscrupulous traffickers posing as legitimate businesses. They undercut competitors, use harmful chemicals and pay young women little or no wage.
A hidden crime such as cannabis cultivation is another way Vietnamese victims are used as slaves. This accounts for nearly 60% of recorded cases in the UK. It is an issue on our streets and behind closed doors and yet a Scottish Government survey revealed that less than 4% of us considered it a local problem. Hope for Justice believes there is a need to change that perception and by doing so help others see that action for justice starts on our doorsteps. It is one reason why Hope for Justice offers a free training awareness session to other charities so we can raise awareness of the signs and indicators.
When I discovered an increasing link between Vietnam and Scotland I developed a deep conviction to make a difference not only where I live, but also to the world in which I live. However, it is hard to know how to direct that conviction so something can be achieved. So when I heard that Hope for Justice was running an Extreme Challenge: Vietnam in order to raise funds for a Safe House in Vietnam to support girls who are victims of modern slavery, I volunteered.
Hope for Justice already do remarkable work in Cambodia in its Lighthouse project and through the support of the Vietnamese Government we are replicating this successful model in Vietnam.
The figures above indicate how Scotland and Vietnam are inextricably linked through human trafficking. In order to raise awareness and raise funds I will cycle 240 miles from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It is a privilege to represent Scotland and contribute in some way to changing lives and ending slavery both in Scotland and Vietnam.
I have cycled at many stages in my life for different reasons, whether as a child free to play, cycling with my family, as a middle aged man trying to stay fit, or to exercise and relieve the stresses of life's pressures. One thing common to them all, I have been free to do so. What a gift!
Now in this Extreme Challenge, I would like to ride my bike so others could be free.
If you would like to hear more, please reach out to me so together we can raise awareness and raise funds. Please follow the link: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AlisterBull to help change lives and end slavery.