Godwin was a bright young boy who loved to learn in school. When he was 17 years old, a woman claiming to be his relative offered to take him on a trip to meet his extended family. Godwin, still committed to his studies, brought his schoolbooks so he could study on the trip.
Instead of taking him to his extended family, the woman sold Godwin to a man on a remote fishing island. Suddenly alone, Godwin was forced to fish for the traffickers the very next day. They even threw Godwin’s books away, saying “there will be no free time for learning.”
For nearly three years, Godwin was trapped with several other trafficked children who were beaten when they didn’t meet their trafficker’s demands. When the fishing nets got caught on submerged trees, they would have to dive and untangle them from the bottom of the lake. They feared that they might get caught in the nets and never make it back to the surface.
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Monthly gifts from Freedom Partners will be matched over the next year, up to $92,500.
Thanks to the faithful support of IJM Freedom Partners, Godwin was finally rescued. Then, less than 24 hours after his rescue, he bravely got on a boat and headed back to the island to aid authorities and IJM staff in identifying other children who were enslaved. Because of Godwin’s bravery, and your generous support, 29 trafficked people and one infant were rescued, and 17 suspects were arrested.
Today, Godwin is a leader among his peers and is loved by his headmaster, teachers and classmates. He's picked up his schoolbooks again and is determined to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.
This is what you can help make possible – freedom, justice and restoration. With your Freedom Partner support we can end slavery in our lifetime.
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