My Ephiphany
/ Our Work /
epiphany
/ɪˈpɪfəni/
noun:
- a moment of great or sudden revelation
- a significant realisation whereby an individual undergoes personal development or growth
On October the 18th, The Anti-Slavery Collective launches the first video of our new short interview series called “My Epiphany”.
Each short film details a very personal moment when experts and activists from all walks of life were confronted with the horrifying reality of modern slavery, and their ongoing quest to do something about it.
To kick off the series, the first video features the broadcaster and journalist Julie Etchingham. 20 years ago, Julie sat across a table in a prison meeting room and met a young, quietly spoken Nigerian woman, whose story changed her life.
Every week until December a new film will be released across our social media platforms and The Anti-Slavery Collective website.
modern slavery generates over $150 Billion in illegal profits annually.
Julie Etchingham
Julie is a broadcaster and journalist with 30 years’ experience working at the BBC, Sky News and ITV. She is anchor for the flagship ‘News at Ten’ on ITV, and fronts the channel’s major news events. She was the first woman to win the RTS Presenter of the Year Award. She read English at Newnham College Cambridge, and is married with two sons.
Phil Brewer
Episode 2 features Phil Brewer, a retired Police Officer who spent 5 years investigating modern slavery and human trafficking in the Met, now a specialist advisor at the Human Trafficking Foundation and lecturer and honorary research fellow at St Mary’s University.
Rebekah Lisgarten
In Episode 3 of My Epiphany, Rebekah Lisgarten tells us how as a teenager, she randomly picked up a book at a supermarket which changed the course of her life. Assuming the story was a work of fiction, Rebekah was horrified to learn that ‘Slave Girl’ was the real story of Sarah Forsyth. At only 17, (just two years older than Rebekah) Sarah was trafficked to the Netherlands from the UK.
Brandon Daniels
In Episode 4 of My Epiphany, Brandon Daniels, the CEO of the global EXIGER, recalls a chilling phone call he will never forget. In 2020, 39 Vietnamese men and women, including 10 teenagers (the youngest of which was only 15 years old), suffocated in the back of a lorry as they were trafficked into the UK. Several months later, one of EXIGER’s partners was about to enter into a new client relationship with the very firm responsible for this horrifying event.
Mary Sebastian
In Episode 5 of My Epiphany we meet Mary Sebastian who works for International Justice Mission (IJM) as a Senior Advocacy Advisor. A qualified lawyer from India, Mary tells a story about a young girl she met who grew up in the same state was trafficked by her own Aunt. As a young professional, she struggled to come to terms with the fact that it was another woman who exploited her. The very people who she should have been able to trust were the ones to exploit her in such an unimaginably cruel way.
Amoge Ukaegbu
Episode 6 of My Epiphany features Amoge (Ams) Ukaegbu from the Sophie Hayes Foundation. As a student, Amoge will never forget the moment she came across the story of a young girl who was trafficked by her family to the UK as a child bride. An estimated 640 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood (UNICEF, 2023) Ever since that moment Ams has had lifelong commitment to combating human trafficking and modern slavery. She has worked in roles supporting survivors and advocating for basic human rights, with a focus on ending exploitation and empowering vulnerable communities.
Tiffiny Gregory
In Episode 7, Tiffiny from The Salvation Army describes the moment that she learnt that her ancestors had fought against slavery in Mauritius. This epiphany moment triggered a complete career change, she felt a strong pull to those that needed help the most.
During her time at The Salvation Army, Tiffiny has connected with many people with lived experiences of modern slavery. She shares the stories of survivors who have come to the UK on a promise of a great job, only to find themselves in forced labour with no passport and no way out.
John Schultz
In Episode 8 and the final episode of My Epiphany, John Scultz, EVP, Chief Operating and Legal Officer (HPE), recalls the moment where he is sat in a meeting and is left shaken to find that modern slavery is actually on the rise.