A high school student in North Grenville is spreading awareness on the issue of human trafficking through a new initiative.
Earlier this year, as part of a school assignment, Eliza Batchelor launched the Hidden World Project, a human trafficking awareness program designed to educate others on how to recognize luring, so they can stay safe.
The grade 10 student, who attends North Grenville District High School, has plans to host virtual workshops where she’ll discuss the different forms of trafficking, how trafficking happens and who is most vulnerable.
“We’ll be talking about what human trafficking is, how it’s accomplished, what it looks like in our demographic, as well as what the government is doing to prevent human trafficking and bring awareness to it,” Batchelor said.
Batchelor had first heard of the issue happening in our community after reading an article in a local newspaper, and until then, she had no idea of how prevalent it was.
After speaking to survivors, she says she’s gained much greater insight of what victims go through, and she wanted to shed a light on that.
“I think it was more inspired by finding something I saw as an issue and going ‘hey, I am going to change this, I want to change this’,” Batchelor said. “This is something that I want to do, so it was more of an in-the-moment decision that became something that I am really attached to.”
Batchelor is also encouraging donations for the initiative, with all proceeds going to non-profit organizations that work with victims, and provide shelter and services for survivors.
She adds it’s her goal to see the topic of human trafficking covered in school curriculums.
“It’s not gone over thoroughly in schools,” she said. “So, I wish the schools would pay more attention to it and teach to younger children, preferably in high school at a more appropriate age about what human trafficking is and how it affects them.”
For more information on the workshops or to learn more about the project, you can head here.