2016 was a critical year for people affected by human trafficking and modern slavery.

The number of people affected by modern slavery increased from estimates of 30 million people to more than 45 million people. That’s bigger than the entire population of California.

And while the U.S. enacted game-changing tariffs designed to ban all slave-made goods from entering America, we learned much of modern slavery remains hidden — often unknowingly — deep in the supply chains of global companies, such as Nestlé.

Making progress against human trafficking is difficult. And it’s also possible.

This year, your support of the Not For Sale projects created some of the most momentous milestones for this mission.

See some of this year’s highlights and the progress being made in 2016.

THAILAND

At our project in Northern Thailand, more than 120 children are actively enrolled in public schools — a luxury not available to all children living on the borders of Thailand. Several more of the children at our project entered schools this year, while others are a year closer to college graduation.

This year we also took a giant step forward in protecting Akha Tribe families from traffickers through our partnership with St. Clare coffee — a premium coffee roaster and cafe in San Francisco.

St. Clare began developing relationships with Thai coffee farmers from the Akha Tribe. Traffickers routinely target these families because of their economic vulnerability. Many of the children who live in our project come from tribes like these.

The partnership with St. Clare helps make significant progress in stopping traffickers in these communities.

VIETNAM

This year, in partnership with project sponsor Bumble Bee Tuna, we created the first program in Vietnam specifically for boys who have been affected by human trafficking and exploitation.

Vietnamese law recognized for the first time in 2016 the sexual abuse of boys as a crime. However, there are many statues still to be drafted to support this decision. The Not For Sale program in Vietnam was made to support these boys.

Many of the boys were living on the street, sleeping under bridges, and lived in abusive conditions before coming to the program.

ROMANIA

More than 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees have disappeared since arriving in Europe in 2016. The region’s intelligence agencies suspect many have fallen into the hands of organised trafficking syndicates.

Our Romania project — already home to more than 150 youths affected by human trafficking and exploitation — was able to locate and house at least 17 of the underage refugees fleeing countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Most have never attended any school, and speak limited Romanian.

Education is a key support pillar at Not For Sale projects. 56 members of our Romania project are enrolled in higher education boarding schools.

And earlier this year, some of our youths won awards at the country’s national robotics competition.

“We WON! Oh, My God, I am so happy, I have never won anything in my life!” one of the boys said.

UNITED STATES

A graduate of our U.S. program completed a highly competitive internship at San Francisco International Airport this year. Each internship class fields more than 200 applications for just 12-14 positions.

This was a MASSIVE win for a key member of our Not For Sale U.S. project. She has since retained employment and independent housing.

Transitioning from a life in exploitation can be difficult for people affected by human trafficking in the U.S. because governmental support systems are lacking. Some people return to lives of exploitation even after completing social programs.

A win like this one is momentous because the graduate has made it her mission to help lead others out of exploitative situations.

PERU

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This year we launched one of our most exciting ventures yet… Z Shoes!

Z Shoes was born out of the necessity to protect people vulnerable to traffickers in Peru.

Not For Sale founder David Batstone and his son sourced their materials from the Peruvian Amazon so that they could create local economy. And Z Shoes pledges a portion of revenues back to Not For Sale to support our projects.

Now YOU can walk like a hero. Get your own pair now here.

When you wear and share Z Shoes, you are supporting the mission of Not For Sale and the people we service.

AMSTERDAM

Dignita Restaurant in Amsterdam — built to give job skills to women who survived sexual exploitation in the city’s Red Light District — continues to rack up accolades.

The restaurant also serves as a training ground to give exploited women culinary skills which they can use to gain dignified employment.

And Dignita Restaurant recently was named as one of the city’s Top 10 restaurants, and #1 brunch restaurant overall in Amsterdam.

This year, you can get great gifts AND make a difference. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite suggestions from companies dedicated to creating a world without human trafficking.

Take a look and find a great gift for someone you care about.

1. Saint Frank Coffee. Get some Little Brother Espresso and brew it on the Christmas Day. It has sweet blends of bright fruit flavors, dense molasses, and dry cocoa. $17

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Every time you drink Saint Frank Coffee, you are providing jobs to people affected by human trafficking — from the coffee shop baristas in the San Francisco Bay Area, to the coffee plantation workers in Northern Thailand.

Saint Frank founder (and multi-year finalist at the U.S. Barista Championships!) Kevin Bohlin hires people affected human trafficking as baristas in his San Francisco coffee shops. Each barista is trained in Kevin’s championship-level methodology.

Kevin’s shops also help people at the source of his coffee — members of the Akha tribe in Northern Thailand who are often affected by human trafficking. Kevin sources and develops his coffees with the Akha tribe, and directly supports Not For Sale’s education and development efforts at our nearby project.

What To Do Next: Go to this link, then add the Little Brother Espresso to your cart.

2. REBBL. Stock these super-herb drinks for your holiday party, and see how people go crazy for them. Try Reishi Chocolate, Turmeric Golden-Milk, and Maca Cold-Brew.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
When you drink REBBL beverages, you support the children and families who make the drink possible. And you support the thousands of others who are supported through Not For Sale’s projects.

REBBL sources some of their ingredients from at-risk regions around the world where many people are vulnerable to human traffickers. Because REBBL buys its ingredients there, the local communities have new income, which greater protects them from the influences of traffickers. REBBL also contributes 2.5% of its revenue to Not For Sale projects, so that even more people affected by human trafficking can be benefited by REBBL’s success.

Here’s what else is great about the company: REBBL was founded by the founders of Not For Sale, and it’s a HUGE success. REBBL is one of the fastest growing healthy beverages in the United States, and it’s now available in all Whole Foods stores nationwide.

What To Do Next: Go to this link…look up a store, and buy it near you.

3. Killing It! Book by Sheryl O’Loughlin. Sneak this guidebook to your Secret Santa and watch their eyes go wide. You will be awed in the questions, perspectives, and ideas that get sparked during holiday toasts. $19.14 for a hardcover at Amazon.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Through supporting Sheryl O’Loughlin, you support REBBL and the other entrepreneurs Not For Sale community. Sheryl is the CEO of REBBL, and she is also the leader who took Clif Bar on a meteoric rise. With her playbook, you too can impact the world.

What To Do Next: Go to Amazon, and order!

4. Think Wrong Book by Greg Galle. Gift this beautifully designed book to your entrepreneurially minded family member. Let them find a secret recipe for creating reality-bending companies (and you enjoy the ride.) $27 for a paperback at Amazon.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Not For Sale birthed REBBL from an unconventional and risky brainstorming session outside of San Francisco. And it really worked. The formula for these sessions comes from Greg Galle, a business strategy leader who’s worked with some of Silicon Valley’s most rule-breaking companies. Greg is also a board member for Not For Sale. When you use these methods, you almost have no choice but to create something that will change the future.

What To Do Next:  Go to Amazon, and order!

5. Square Organics. Snatch a box of these kid-friendly and adult-pleasing protein bars for stocking stuffers. Check out Chocolate Coated Cherry Coconut, Chocolate Coated Nuts & Sea Salt, and NFS favorite Chocolate Coated Almond Spice. A box of 12 bars is $29.99 right now, but you can use the code NFS25 to get extra 25% off!

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Every bite is soooo good! Good! GOOD!! So you know that you’re going to please your crowd. AND you’ll also help Not For Sale with every purchase. Square Organics contributes directly to Not For Sale to help support people affected by human trafficking. Your purchases help grow the good guys — People like Sarah and Andrew Gordon of Square Organics who make products that are good for you and your family… and their success means more success for people affected by Human Trafficking.

What To Do Next: Go to their website now and order a box or two! Use this code NFS25 for 25% off!

6. Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. Gift Card. Give your lucky ones near the Bay Area a gift of an experience. They can watch live music while enjoying Fish’n Chips and a couple flights of beer. Great timing for stocking this gift card for every $50 you spend on the gift card, you get $10 credit.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Your support means more people will become aware of human trafficking and Not For Sale. Also, you support directly to sourcing in the Peruvian Amazon.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. spreads awareness about Human Trafficking in places most people wouldn’t expect to hear about it — in bars and restaurants on the U.S. West Coast. Their specially made brew Not For Sale Ale is eye-catching and delicious, and opens the conversation for people who are new the cause. They also source Cat’s Claw from Not For Sale’s Peruvian Amazon project.

What To Do Next: Get the gift card here. For every $50 you spend on the gift card, you get $10 credit.

7. Not For Sale Book by Founder David Batstone. A starter gift for anyone who has a soft spot and is curious about human trafficking. Also, it looks cool on a bookshelf. $12.31 for a Paperback.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Each book shared is like the seed for an idea virus. When you share Not For Sale’s first book, you’re opening someone to one of the most important missions facing our world today. You’re giving an opportunity to another person to know the issues of human trafficking from top to bottom, and you’re giving them the tools to make real change for the world.

What To Do Next: Head over to Amazon now and order the book.

8. Z Shoes. Gift a pair of Z Shoes for your stylish and hip niece, nephew, grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, brother, sister, landlord, yoga instructor, husband, or wife (or all 12 of them!) 😀👟🎁 Check out Navy Blue for men, and Coral for women. Use code NSFGIFTGUIDE for $15 Off a pair!

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Z shoes are made from 100% organic materials sourced from indigenous communities in the Amazon of Peru. Z Shoes sources materials only from sources where people and planet are treated with dignity. The shoe is designed to biodegrade so your shoes will return to the earth without leaving garbage behind. Z Shoes make it possible for you to walk without a footprint.

What To Do Next: Go to the Z Shoes website, choose your shoes, then use the code NFSGIFTGUIDE at checkout, to get $15 off a pair.

9. Boll & Branch. Splurge your loved ones with soft & luxurious bed sheets and watch their excitement when they unwrap these presents. Get the timeless & classic Hemmed Collection $200-$275. Use code NOTFORSALE to get $50 off the first set of sheets.

How Your Purchase Improves the World:
Did you know the majority of bedding products come from factories with zero traceability? Most retailers have little insight into where their products are made, and by whom.

When you buy Boll & Branch, you get some of the best products on the planet — made with organic cotton — and you get the peace of mind that every inch of their production is engineered to protect people from exploitation and human trafficking. Your purchases support more than 10,000 families above the poverty line in India who produce Boll & Branch products.

Now that should help you get a good night’s sleep! (And Boll & Branch is a direct supporter of Not For Sale!)

What To Do Next: Head over to Boll & Branch website, and get a set of their amazing Hemmed Collection sheets. Then use the coupon code NOTFORSALE to get $50 off on orders over $200.

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