Dear friends,
Happy new year from the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery! Thank you to each and every person that has been part of the GFEMS journey–our staff, donors, and partners. You have all been, and will continue to be, crucial in shaping our path.
In 2022, our team took time to evaluate, learn, and shift direction based on feedback we received after implementing our inaugural projects in Asia and Africa. We are excited to share what we have learned and build on those lessons to move in a new strategic direction.
Our new approach focuses on
1) building a survivor-centric environment,
2) funding and building the foundation for a movement, and
3) supporting advocacy.
I speak about the Fund’s updated approach in more detail here.
The first tenet of our updated direction involves creating a survivor centered environment. We have already begun this work by partnering with the National Survivor Network and completing an internal review of GFEMS addressing the issue of survivor inclusion. Our team engaged in honest conversations about where we are, where we want to be, and the changes needed to center survivors in our own internal operations. Our partnership with NSN has resulted in co-creation of a toolkit, which we believe can help other organizations seeking practical tools to become more inclusive of survivors.
GFEMS has also made the decision to ultimately shift its core operations from Washington DC to Nairobi, a long-term goal which we will begin working towards this month. This reflects an effort to be more present in and shift power to regions most affected by modern slavery.
We will continue to update you on the progress and the changes related to our work. As Human Trafficking Awareness Month, January is a time for all of us to amplify this issue and show solidarity with the people most affected. This month, spare some time to learn about a new organization or activist in our space working tirelessly to address human trafficking. We cannot address this issue alone, we have always been stronger together.
All the best,
Sophie