More slavery now than ever before
RUIMSIG – Monash South Africa will hold The Sweatshop Challenge, which aims to create awareness of what it's like to be a slave.
Did you know that there are more slaves in the world today than at any other time in history? This according to the United Nations.
Globally, it is estimated that there are nearly 36 million men, women and children that have been trafficked and forced into slavery. This is why The Sweatshop Challenge will take place at Monash South Africa (MSA) in Ruimsig on 5 October to raise awareness about human slavery.
The purpose of the challenge is to give people an understanding of what it is like to experience the conditions that workers in a sweatshop environment are often subjected to. The simulation activities include screwing and unscrewing nuts and bolts and sorting coloured rice.
The simulation will be run for a five-hour period, where participants can stop at any time, however, the aim is to complete the challenge.
Those who participate will be asked to do these activities and imagine if this was their life seven days a week, 365 days a year. Activities are tedious and boring and make people’s hands numb and cramp up, which is meant to create a sense of helplessness, without food, beverages or breaks.
Participants will also be asked to keep quiet for extended periods of time, and will have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Only water will be provided.
The ultimate goal is to create awareness strong enough to leave participants with a sense of urgency to end human slavery.
Participants can ask their companies, colleagues and families to sponsor them per hour completed in the challenge, raising funds for local organisations combatting human slavery. However, sponsorship is not mandatory or a requirement to participate in the challenge.
During the challenge, victim accounts and videos will be shared, as well as presentations by counter-trafficking organisations. There will be debriefing sessions during and after the challenge for participants to express themselves after having participated in such an event.
The Sweatshop Challenge is being run by Crimon, a student organisation at MSA together with the Community Engagement Department at MSA. External partners include the 852 Freedom Campaign, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and World Wide Documentaries.
To participate in the campaign, follow the link to fill out the registration form.
