Mercy Project

Today, as we celebrated a day honoring the economic and social contributions of American workers, protected in this country by labor laws and unions, it's heartbreaking to think about the children around the world who are forced by poverty into slavery or child labor.

It is estimated that 7,000 children are enslaved in the Ghana fishing industry.  The Mercy Project is a different kind of organization dedicated to rescuing child slaves.  Rather than swooping in to rescue a group of children who will be quickly replaced by more, their process hinges on building relationships within the fishing industry, replacing the need for child labor, rescuing and rehabilitating the children, and staying to support and monitor.  The hope is that they will work themselves out of a job.

Today, my kids giggled and danced with their cousins, trilling about the animals at the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens.  They ate three solid meals and a snack and are now tucked into bed in a safe home.

Today, kids just six months older than the twins woke up at 4:30 AM to face a 14-hour day. They cleaned and mended nets and dove into the water to disentangle nets.  They ate one meal, and are sleeping on the floor with other children.

Please take just a few minutes to watch this short documentary.  Mercy Project will be freeing their first group of child slaves later this month.


If you want to connect with Mercy Project and follow along this month as the first group of kids are freed, here are a few ways to be a part of this story:

1.  Connect with Mercy Project on Facebook.

2.  Connect with Mercy Project on Twitter

3.  Spend some time on Mercy Project's website.

4.  Use your voice to advocate for kids without a voice.  Share Mercy Project with your friends.