Meet the Heroes

A government official,Irén Ádámné Dunai has diligently networked between agencies to provide shelter, open a crisis hotline, and set up a shelter referral service.

A high-ranking Police Officer in the South of Mongolia, Major Tumenbayar has been crucial to the fight against cross-border human trafficking.

The Deputy Police Commissioner of Aruba, Jeanette Richardson-Baars has taken steps to help victims, and to build awareness of human trafficking.

As a prosecutor in Ecuador, Lucy Blacio courageously pursued the first cases to be prosecuted under Ecuador’s anti-human trafficking statutes.

Working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Laura Germino began fighting against modern-day slavery in the Tomato picking industry.

Ippei Torii, the Secretary General of the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, has provided assistance to thousands of workers.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi has freed an estimated 83,000 children from forced and bonded labor since the 1980s.

Monica Boseff opened the only emergency shelter in Bucharest, Romania, in 2012, and continues to provide support to victims.

Specializing in spreading awareness, Natalia Abdullayeva works to make sure the labor force of Uzbekistan remains informed about trafficking.

A heart for children and a tireless devotion has kept Mr. Leonel Dubon providing aftercare services to trafficked and at-risk youth for years.

A journalist in Mexico, Ms. Ribeiro first became involved with anti-trafficking work in 2000, when she opened a high security shelter for women and children.

Amela Efendic has worked for over a decade to assist victims of trafficking, and spread awareness throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Angelina Atyam’s fight to combat human trafficking was personal: the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) abducted her daughter.

Sister Azazet listened to countless of interviews, sensitively interacting with victims, to learn about trafficking in the Sinai.

Bonnie Miller tirelessly pursued cooperative efforts to combat modern-day slavery, raised awareness, and established resources.

Chief Togbega Hadjor is chief over the region which includes the infamous Lake Volta, where young boys are sold as slaves to fishermen.

The first woman to become an army officer in Burundi, Ms. Sabiyumva has taken a stand against the sexual exploitation of children.

She secured the first conviction for Trafficking in Persons in Mexico, a landmark in their fight against modern-day slavery.

Working with sex trafficking victims in Namibia, Esme Kisting provides them with housing, an income, and a chance at a life.

Dr. Esohe Aghatise, an international lawyer, began working to help women who had been trafficked in 1998 when she founded her organization: IROKO.

A familiar face in Finnish politics for twenty years, Eva Biaudet, as the Ombudsman for Minorities, advocates for better responses to trafficking.

The founder of the Mongolian Gender Equality Center, Ganbayasgakh Geleg has been helping victims of trafficking since 2002.

In 2004, Guy Jacobson, a lawyer, and Adi Ezroni, an Israeli Actress, founded the Redlight Children Campaign to combat child sex trafficking.

Brother Xavier Plassat, a friar of the Dominican order, first came across forced labor practices after coming to Brazil in the 1980s.

The late Irene Fernandez was a well-known activist and advocate in Malaysia, supporting the rights of women, and the rights of Migrant workers, for decades.

After retiring from a successful soccer (football) career, Jean Claude Mbvoumin made it his mission to help African victims of fraudulent football recruiting.

Ameena Saeed Hasan is a Yezidi Kurd, a minority group targeted by the extremist group ISIL. She has helped secure the release of over 100 captives.

Despite juggling an average case-load of 300 criminal cases, Prosecutor Darlene Pajarito has still managed to bring traffickers to justice.

Philip Hyldgaard, Executive Director of The A21 Campaign, helped establish the organization's first office in Greece, and opened their first shelter.

Tony Maddox, a journalist-executive, founded the CNN Freedom Project, the greatest awareness project in anti-human trafficking.

Tony Maddox, a journalist-executive, founded the CNN Freedom Project, the greatest awareness project in anti-human trafficking.

A secretive investigative Journalist from Ghana, Anas Aremeyaw Anas helped to bring down two major human trafficking rings in Ghana in 2007 and 2008.

Maizidah Salas is a leading voice for migrant worker rights in Indonesia.

Ms. Okoedion plays an integral role in pushing Italian authorities to ensure that survivors, especially Nigerian women and girls, receive the services they deserve.

Sunita Danuwar has made the remarkable transformation from trafficking victim to one of Nepal’s leading social activists.

Francisca Awah Mbuli is a survivor of human trafficking and the founding director of Survivors’ Network.

Sister Gabriella Bottani is one of the most prominent and influential anti-trafficking advocates within the Catholic diaspora.

Camilious Machingura is an inspiring anti-trafficking advocate within Zimbabwe and the broader southern Africa region.

A driving force in increasing awareness of human trafficking in Hong Kong

Combating trafficking in persons and helping trafficking victims

Advocating for the rights of victims of human trafficking

Raising awareness and advocating for human trafficking reforms in Latvia

A proven anti-trafficking activist in Malawi

Committed to women’s empowerment and anti-trafficking efforts

A leading advocate for increasing efforts to combat trafficking in Bhutan.

Josiane Lina Bemaka-Soui developed the Central African Republic’s national anti-trafficking response from the ground up.

Shakhnoza Khassanova has decades of experience raising awareness about human trafficking, advocating for greater victim protections, and aiding victims of human trafficking across Central Asia.

Kateryna Cherepakha is the president of La Strada-Ukraine, an NGO established in 1997 to combat trafficking in persons, gender-based violence, and domestic violence.

Ms. Apinya is the Deputy Director of the Stella Maris Seafarer’s Center, an NGO in Thailand.

Judge Wennah has demonstrated tireless devotion to improve Liberia’s anti-trafficking record. He was sworn in as a Residential Judge early 2022.

Judge Wennah has demonstrated tireless devotion to improve Liberia’s anti-trafficking record. He was sworn in as a Residential Judge early 2022.

Ms. Dawid-Olczyk is a human rights activist and President of La Strada Poland who has devoted much of her professional life to assisting human trafficking victims.

Pureza Lopes Loyola is a respected activist whose three-year quest to find her son led the Government of Brazil to create the Mobile Inspection Group in 1995.

Mech Dara is a Cambodian journalist whose reporting on increased incidents of human trafficking connected to online scam operations were some of the first in-depth investigative pieces on the subject.

Mrs. Iman Al Sailawi and Mr. Basim Abdulrazzaq Jebur provide support services and shelter in Iraq for stranded migrant workers, child labor, and forced child labor.

Eumelis Moya Goitte has drawn international attention to human trafficking crimes in the mining sector and provided support for international efforts to prevent human trafficking of vulnerable populations.

Samson “Sam” Inocencio has devoted over 20 years to fighting human trafficking with the International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines.

Marijana Savić, the founder and director of NGO Atina, is an activist dedicated to advancing women's and girls' rights.

Brigadier General Mustafa Ridha Mustafa al-Yasiri has significantly advanced Iraq's fight against human trafficking.

Marcela Martinez is an accomplished Bolivian lawyer from La Paz and a leading anti-trafficking activist.

Inspector Letitia Pinas revitalized Suriname's Trafficking in Persons Unit by implementing a strategic plan that enhanced investigations, victim support, and public outreach.

Rosa Cendón has devoted her life to assisting victims, raising awareness, and combating human trafficking in Spain.

Md. Al-Amin is a trafficking survivor and manager at the BRAC Migration Welfare Centre, where he has assisted over 34,000 trafficking survivors and migrants in Bangladesh.

Maria Werlau has been a key advocate against Cuba's labor export program since 2009