I am participating in an Instagram Challenge this month called “Create for Dressember” and the prompt for today was “Change”.
How does one create change? I would say it would be by doing something different. So today I tried to create some change in my life. I started out by wearing the same dress I wore yesterday but changing the look by wearing a skirt over it, adding a scarf, jacket and necklace. That type of change was easy and it was good. However, not all change is like that and sometimes there are things that you cannot change on your own, especially if you are a person trapped in slavery and abuse.
How can a trafficked child change his or her situation? How can a woman or man trapped in forced labor change their life? How can the 40 million people who are victims of modern slavery change their circumstances and find freedom? How? They can’t, but we can, by changing our way of thinking and living. 
We can change our shopping habits by asking “Who Made These Clothes?” before purchasing them, and only buying Ethical Brands and Fair Trade clothing. We can shop at thrift stores and consignment shops or we can just buy less clothing.
With each change you make, you can fight back against forced labor and help victims gain freedom.
Today as I was doing some shopping in one of my local stores, I noticed how much I have changed in just these 10 days of doing Dressember. As I walked past all the beautiful displays of clothing, accessories, candy and cookies marketed as Christmas gifts, I admit I was tempted by all the glitter, glitz and smells. But then my mind began to wonder where all these fine looking things came from and who made them. Was it someone trapped in forced labor, a victim of human trafficking far from home and family, living in poverty, fear and abuse?
That is the change Dressember has caused in me. It has brought awareness into my life of the evils of trafficking and slavery, and it has changed the way I will forever look at life. I hope it will do the same for you. We all need change.
Besides spreading awareness, you can also help by praying, and giving a monetary donation of any amount, all of these actions will go towards helping victims obtain freedom from their captors so they can regain a life of dignity. Links to donate are listed below.
Thank you, Leona
My Dressember USA Fundraiser Page
https://www.dressember2019.org/fundraiser/leona-atkinson
My Dressember Facebook Fundraiser:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/535411320353431/