Human trafficking is the world’s fastest growing global crime. According to an estimate by UNICEF, 1.2 million children are victims of trafficking every year. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that at least 20.9 million people worldwide were victims of forced labour in 2012. In 2007 the US Department of State estimated that 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year.

These are outrageous statistics that reveal the gravity of global human trafficking. Although you may feel disturbed, you might not know how you can make a difference. You may believe you are just a tiny human being with great intentions, yet no means to change the injustice in the world… Really? CIS students don’t think so!

CIS students involved in the Stop the Traffik Run, held at Gardens by the Bay in November, are well aware of the difference they can make, both on an individual and a collective level. Student leaders organised this 24 hour relay race, drumming up support from student runners and spreading the word to raise awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking. The money raised went directly to charities fighting against human trafficking.

Stop the Traffik is a global youth driven movement that was born in Southeast Asia in 2010. The first run to raise awareness about human trafficking was a 12 hour relay race organised in Hong Kong. Today, this humble run has grown into the largest collective run to take action against modern-day slavery, the trafficking of human beings, and has a strong presence in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

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The CIS student organised Stop the Traffik Run in November was the first ever 24 hour relay race in Singapore. Over 230 students from international schools across the island gathered to run for a good cause, and “stop the traffik”. Students organised themselves into teams and collectively ran a continuous relay over a 24 hour period. Every lap they ran meant additional funds raised.

All together, student teams ran a distance of 2,918 km, and raised $40,000 to benefit anti-slavery grassroots charities Freedom Matters, APLE Cambodia, Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, HOME and SUKA Society.

The run would not have been a success without its army of volunteers and organisers. Almost 100 volunteers worked hand in hand with the organisers, and teacher mentors, to make this run a success, both in terms of fundraising and heightened awareness.

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