As well as financially supporting Flourish NI by donating 10% of our profits to the work that they do, we at Kindred of Ireland also love to look other ways to partner and collaborate with them too.
Flourish's vision is a brighter future for every individual affected by human trafficking, and their aim is to provide long term tailored survivor centred support to overcome trauma and rebuild lives.
It is hard to believe that slavery is still so present in our world today, yet slavery exists across the world, including locally in every single area of the UK & Ireland. Human Trafficking can take many forms, including forced sexual exploitation, domestic slavery or forced labour on farms, in construction, shops, bars, nail bars, car washes or manufacturing.
In the lead up for anti-slavery week in October, we have been running workshops for some of Flourish's clients - and they have begun to work on a piece of art that will be displayed during anti-slavery week. The piece is a mix of sewing, painting, embroidery and applique - all centred around the theme of HOPE.
In these workshops, each client has been encouraged to consider what hope is to them - maybe it is an idea or a feeling, or something more concrete, like a job or a house. We anticipate it to be a potentially difficult process, as hope can often feel elusive or pointless. Our goal is to create space for dreams to flourish and as a reminder that there is hope for a brighter future.
Through their initial sketches and ideas, it has become evident to us that in many ways, we all hope for the same things - peace, security, growth, beauty, love, a place to call home. Keep a look-out to see how the piece progresses in the next few months.
See some photos from the workshop below:
