This week our guest speaker was Shelly Whittington, the NSW & ACT Development Manager for Destiny Rescue.
Destiny Rescue is an internationally-recognized non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing children trapped in the sex trade.
Shelly advised that every 26 seconds a child is ‘traded’ into the sex industry. 1.2 million children are’ traded’ every year.
Destiny Rescue has removed 2,000 children from this danger since 2001. The group was commenced in 2001 by Australian, Tony Kerwin. They operate in 9 countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Thailand and India. Some of these children are as young as 4 years old, the average is 10. In India 90% of the children kidnapped and traded are taken within the railway system in the country.
Destiny Rescue establishes homes for the children rescued, those under 15 are encouraged to go to school and those over 15 are encouraged to continue with school and also learn a simple trade.
If you want to know more please go to the group’s website at www.destinyrescue.org
For all that and more, check out this week’s Rotary Chatroom.
- The gang
- Bob Carle, Shelly Wittington and Bernard Spry
- John Walker and Geoff Pollack