By: Sarah Underwood Photo by: Sarah Underwood
Stephanie Freed, executive director of Rapha House, a ministry committed to “love, rescue, and heal children who have been rescued from trafficking and sexual exploitation,” left students with a challenge during Tuesday’s convocation:
“Milligan, what are we going to do about this?”
Freed was referring to the estimated 2.5 million people trafficked into slavery each year from over 120 countries.
Over 20 Milligan students have accepted Freed’s challenge of action by beginning a campus chapter of International Justice Mission (IJM).
IJM is an organization that works hand in hand with Rapha House by seeking “to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression who urgently need the protection of the law.” They primarily use lawyers and social workers to enforce the law within nations.
Alexa Higgins is a senior chemistry major in charge of forming the IJM chapter. She actually began planning the creation of this chapter with Campus Minister Brad Wallace last fall.
Higgins explained that Milligan’s chapter of IJM would primarily be responsible for “raising awareness, promoting prayer and advocacy, and raising funds” for IJM. The organization would also serve as an “umbrella group” to bring other injustice groups in our community together.
In a meeting designed to kick off this chapter, Higgins said, “There are so many more resources on this campus than we realize. We need to learn more about what injustice actually is, because it’s important.”
Higgins’ pep-talk echoed Freed’s urgent message about educating ourselves about the issue of sex trafficking and slavery.
“These children are no different than my children,” said Freed. “Those children are your problem, too.”
To learn more about how to get involved with Milligan’s chapter of IJM, contact Brad Wallace at BWallace@milligan.edu or Alexa Higgins at ARHiggins@milligan.edu.
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