Bob's topic is Human Trafficking: His talk demonstrated his abhorrence for this horrendous activity. He began by saying that initially he did not realize the scope of this problem until attending a seminar about 12 years ago.  As he learned more about the fact that Human Trafficking is very prevalent in the USA, he began to feel that he needed to do something to help educate people about what is happening, and that it is happening locally, just not everywhere else. It became obvious to Bob that education was needed to bring the issue not only to peoples' attention, but also to protect local children.
This conviction led to a 2016 Global Grant to address Human Trafficking in the greater Sacramento Area. Human Trafficking encompasses both Labor and Sex trafficking. trafficking. This grant supported going into many local school and educating teacher and student about how to identify HT and what they can do about it. The education program has been proved to decrease the incidence where education has been offered. Some statistics Bob shared: 1 in 5 Children will be approached online at some point by a Trafficker., 50 Million People are Enslaved Globally, Entry into Prostitution 12-14 years of age, If they survive their Victimization, the average life span is 7 years. Finally, $150 Billion are made each year from forced labor and sex.
 
Bob Chairs a "Rotary Action Group Against Slavery" that you can find at https: ragas.online. If you want to join use https:ragas.online/joinus.
 
What can Rotarians do?1. Know what trafficking is. 2. Learn the signs and how you can help. 3. Be the leader in your club and help develop projects that make a difference. 4. Know what to do if you believe an incidence of Modern Slavery is taking place. Bob closed with a story of a woman who observed a child potentially being groomed in a department store. This woman stepped up, acted as though she knew the child, and this caused the potential trafficker to leave the child. It was felt after this episode, that a child's life probably had been saved. The women who stood up, and suspected trafficking was in progress, was Chris Deering.