Stop Modern Day Slavery

If selected as a winner, I would use the Elevate Prize funding and support to further my organization's goal of helping survivors of human trafficking. The survivors I have worked with previously have expressed a need for financial assistance for a variety of necessities. I plan to use the money to provide survivors with legal, psychological, and medical services that they might otherwise be unable to afford. 

I will also use the funding to promote my organization's social media campaigns so I can reach and educate even more people about human trafficking. Currently, Stop Modern Day Slavery's social media accounts reach upwards of 15,000 people a week, and I know that with the help of the Elevate Prize funding and support, I could easily triple that number. 

Finally, the support I receive from the Elevate Prize will help me take my global impact to the next level. If selected, I will be able to learn from the Elevate Prize's team of strategic marketing and media experts and connect with other social entrepreneurs. I am most looking forward to meeting former winners of the Elevate Prize, many of whom have inspired the work I do today.

Hello! My name is Rachel Ramenda and I am an undergraduate at Columbia University studying American Studies and Hispanic Studies. When I graduate from Columbia, I plan to attend law school and help human trafficking survivors navigate the legal system. 

My mission in life is to help others. Currently, I am achieving this goal through the anti-human trafficking organization I founded. I am constantly bettering Stop Modern Day Slavery. Everyday, I am creating social media campaigns, planning educational events and classes, connecting with survivor of human trafficking, partnering with ethical businesses that do not use slave labor, and growing my team. I was even featured in Nasdaq for being a social entrepreneur, and was named a Millennium Fellow for my work on Stop Modern Day Slavery. 

My greatest hope for Stop Modern Day Slavery is that it continues to alert the world to the cruelty of human trafficking and inspires a new generation of abolitionists. If everyone were to learn the signs of sex trafficking, we could help so many of those affected. If we all were to take an extra minute to research what we buy before we buy, we could decrease the demand for companies using forced labor.

Global poverty, sexism, racism, and greed have fueled human trafficking. This blatant disregard for the value of human life and freedom have transformed human trafficking into a $150 billion industry that affects 40.3 million people. Women and minorities are targeted by human traffickers worldwide, including in the United States.

Stop Modern Day Slavery addresses this issue by educating the public about human trafficking through easy-to-read, educational articles online and social media campaigns about human trafficking. We take official government documents and transform them into accessible articles for all to read. We collaborate with ethical brands to help promote the work they do to eliminate human trafficking. We speak with survivors and hold a microphone to their voices. Most of all, we show our readers that they have the power to stop modern-day slavery. As consumers, we can choose to fund companies with ethical labor practices over those with murky supply chains. We can choose to support companies that provide fair wages to their employees over those that mistreat their workers. If we stop to think of the people behind our clothes’ label, we can have a massive impact on their lives.

My work is innovative for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, Stop Modern Day Slavery is entirely youth-led, unlike any other major anti-human trafficking organization. This is crucial to me, as human trafficking is a human rights abuse that favors young adults and children. Other anti-trafficking organizations are entirely adult-led and don't understand how to connect with youth to create change.

Secondly, I take a survivor-centric approach to my activism and prioritize empathy and understanding in all my interactions with people who have escaped human trafficking. No other organization has the same dedication to working one-on-one with survivors to help amplify their voices. Before interacting with anyone who has overcome human trafficking, I ensure that he or she feels comfortable and safe in sharing their experience. I also make sure they know that I am advocating for them and their stories without any judgement. 

Thirdly, my organization is global. My team is from countries all around the world, including South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and 6 different states. There is no other organization in this space with such a strong commitment to taking an international approach to ending human trafficking. 

My content has reach hundreds of thousands of people since its inception not long ago. Everyday, I receive encouraging messages from individuals who appreciate all the hard work I put into my organization and campaigns.