Together we can make a very real difference

It’s five years this week since I found my kidnapped friend May in China.

That incredible success was the result of many months of difficult – and sometimes dangerous – work.

I’ve been here working ever since.

The global human trafficking crisis now claims over 40 million victims around the world. Most of these people are women sold for sex, and many are only girls.

While most people are now aware of the phrase “human trafficking”, only a very few of us understand what it truly means, how it affects people, and what a monstrous issue it is.

Human trafficking is generally presented in the media as a very black-and-white issue, and is often approached from a very impersonal, statistical angle.

‘Sisters for Sale’ is a unique and fascinating story which gives a far more personal and nuanced insight into the complex realities of human trafficking.

It has the power to make a very real difference against this vast and growing global crisis.

My personal connection to the victims gives ‘Sisters for Sale’ a rare strength, while my investigation shows that we as individuals are not powerless against human trafficking.

Even before the documentary was finished, the story gained the attention of millions of people around the world – via ABC, CBC, Channel NewsAsia, CNN, Newsweek, TEDx, VICE, VTV, Walk Free, etc.

Only last week, I did a Q&A session in Reddit’s IAmA group, which has 19.1 million members around the globe.

It quickly became one of their most popular Q&A sessions of the past year (behind figures like Bill Gates and Bernie Sanders, and ahead of Rowan Atkinson, Eric Idle, and Sam Rockwell), which really demonstrates what incredible power our story has.

The documentary has now premiered at two international film festivals, and won awards at both – for best filmmaking, and most courageous storytelling.

We couldn’t have done this without you – and, with your support, there’s so much more we could be doing.

There’s so much more to the story that we weren’t able to include in the documentary. We need funds to promote and tour the film, to spread this message as far and wide as possible.

We’re also working to expand the story as both a book and serialised podcast, to give you a deeper insight into the world of human trafficking.

Despite all the praise and attention we’ve received, we’ve never had a reliable source of funding.

Over the past 6.5 years, I’ve poured many thousands of hours into this project.

I’ve never been paid for my efforts, taking less than $25/day to cover my most basic living expenses so that I can continue to work.

Everything we’ve done has been made possibly only by the generosity of individuals like yourself – and right now, we need your support more than ever.

Over 500 of you have now contributed to support our work, and that’s amazing – but it’s not enough.

If you’ve seen the documentary and believe we have an important message to share, please help us continue our work.

You can now get a very special sneak-peek at the ‘Sisters for Sale’ book.

In four weeks, it will disappear, and I can’t say how or when it will be made available again.

You can make a very real difference right now at www.sistersforsale.com

“I just finished and I can only say wow! The story is fast-paced, moving, well-written – as a writer I tried hard to find flaws but I couldn’t! I couldn’t stop reading, had lunch in front of the PC… Everything is perfect!” – Sifis Zervoudakis, author of numerous Greek-language books

“So powerful. I’m writing my Master’s thesis on bride trafficking, but all the reports and studies in the world can’t capture the humanness of ‘Sisters for Sale’.” – Jennifer Wells-Qu, Equality Now

“Well, damn. this is exactly why I supported you. Incredible. I think my perspective of the world changed forever.” – Anonymous supporter

Help us continue our work now at www.sistersforsale.com

Thank you,

– Ben