March 18, 2021 (Kemptville, Ontario) – Eliza Batchelor, a Grade 10 student at North Grenville District High School, is spreading awareness of the presence of human trafficking happening within the Leeds and Grenville area. Eliza first learned about human trafficking happening in her own community after reading an article in her local newspaper on the topic. Until then, she had no idea of its prevalence.
“Never before had I recognized human trafficking as a problem in my area or even in Canada,” explains Eliza. “When I talked to friends and family, I realized that it was the same for them; they knew very little about human trafficking. That is when I decided that people should know about it because trafficking is a serious issue that is affecting people in our community and in our country.”
The eye-opening article gave her the inspiration to develop a program that would bring community awareness to the topic while also meeting the requirements for the Sustainable Development Goals Program she’s involved with under the United National Association in Canada.
In early 2021, Eliza launched the Hidden World Project, a human trafficking awareness initiative to spread awareness and educate others on how to recognize luring so that they can stay safe.
“People are trafficked in Canada and that will not change if very few people can actually identify the issue,” she says. “I say break the taboo because not wanting to talk about something does not make it go away and many people do not want to talk about such heavy subjects like human trafficking. Some may see it as too big or too heartbreaking a topic, but that is exactly why we should acknowledge it. The more who know about human trafficking, the more who can step up and make a difference to try to prevent it.”
She brought the idea to North Grenville District High School’s Student Services team, and the school staff know that Eliza will work hard to bring awareness to this issue.
“Eliza is brilliant, caring, insightful, thoughtful, receptive, eager, and determined,” says NGDHS teacher Hope Chambers.
Eliza plans to host introductory workshops to speak on human trafficking and educate those who attend. Her first virtual workshop takes place on March 28, 2021 where she’ll discuss the different forms of trafficking, how trafficking happens and who is most vulnerable. She’s also encouraging donations for the initiative, and all proceeds will be forwarded to non-profit organizations that work with victims, and provide shelter and services for survivors.
“We are very proud of Eliza’s efforts to bring community awareness to an ongoing issue. When our students take on initiatives like this within our community, it sparks excitement and passion in them, and that energy is contagious,” says Principal Derek Cole.
To learn more about Eliza’s initiative and her upcoming workshops, visit her Hidden World Project website.
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For more information:
Derek Cole, Principal
North Grenville District High School
[email protected]