Sahbu to Attempt Rescue of Two Liberian Girls from Slavery

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sahbu, will attempt its first-ever rescue mission to release two children from captivity-forced labor in Monrovia, Liberia, at the end of the month. Mitch Weight, founder of Sahbu, will travel with colleagues to Liberia on January 30 with the resources necessary to have Zoe (age 6) and her sister Baby (age 5)  released from an enslaved life of hard labor. Strategy and tact are in the honing stage, as this much anticipated mission is only a week away.

Mr. Weight learned of these two young girls on a trip to Liberia last October. He met many children, including Zoe and Baby that are currently enslaved, and is determined to rescue them. Since that trip, he has been working with social services in Liberia, developing a plan to return these girls to their family and to provide them with scholarships for school - hoping also to establish a process to rescue additional enslaved children.

Slavery is a massive human rights issue in the western region of Africa, specifically in countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Mauritania. Although slavery is highly illegal in these countries, it is practiced everyday. The most common individuals found enslaved are children under the age of 18 who make up 40 to 50 percent of all forced labor victims in Africa. Human trafficking and slavery is the second most committed criminal offense in the world today, just behind drug trafficking. Sahbu's goal is to provide food, shelter, education and opportunity for Liberian children who have been subjected to a difficult life in the war-torn country.

"I've never rescued an enslaved child before, but I know how to contact them, how to get social services involved and how to get them enrolled in school once we've reunited them with their parents," said Mitch Weight, founder of Sahbu. "Knowing that I have the ability and that the cost of it all will be minimal in the grand scheme of things, I can't not rescue them. This rescue will change their lives and the lives of their future children, and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to be involved in that!"

Sahbu is dedicated to improving the lives of children in Liberia. The nonprofit provides food, education, and mental health services to children in need. The organization rescues children from forced labor and prostitution, and strives to help Liberian children receive the education necessary to have a normal and productive life. This trip is one of many planned for 2013.

About Sahbu:
Sahbu rescues children from the war-torn streets of Liberia, West Africa. The nonprofit provides education, food and clothing to children that are living in squalor, so they can break out of the poverty cycle, improving their lives, and the lives of others. Sahbu has pledged to provide opportunity through education for as many Liberian children as possible, with funds that are donated through Virtel Marketing, a Utah-based lead generation company, individual donors, and corporate giving.

Contact:
801-753-8381
[email protected]

Photos:
http://www.prlog.org/12062355

SOURCE Sahbu