Why "Lumen"
Lumen is Latin for light. Trafficking is rarely as hidden as people assume. Victims are often working in plain view, or are recruited through people and platforms they already trust.
Most people who encounter it don't recognize it. We want to change that.
What we do
Research & data
We compile research from sources such as the International Labour Organization and the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and present it clearly for the public, educators and policymakers.
Survivor support
We raise funds for established organizations that provide shelter, legal services and counseling, and help connect survivors with those services.
Awareness
We create educational content and presentations on how trafficking works, including deceptive job offers, online recruitment and debt bondage.
Partnerships
We are building partnerships with law enforcement, schools and community organizations to improve how warning signs are identified and reported.
The numbers
Current global estimates. Because most cases go unreported, the true figures are likely higher.
people living in modern slavery on any given day, including forced labor and forced marriage.
people in forced labor: factories, farms, homes, construction and commercial sex.
of those people in forced labor are children.
in illegal profits made from forced labor every year.
1. ILO, Walk Free & IOM, Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, 2022.
2. ILO, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour, 2024.
Know the signs
Trafficking rarely involves kidnapping. Most victims are recruited by someone they know or trust, often through a job offer or a relationship. No single sign confirms trafficking, but several together are worth reporting.
Do not intervene directly. Contact the hotline or local law enforcement.
- Doesn't hold their own ID, passport or money. Someone else "keeps it for them."
- Can't come and go freely, or is always with someone who speaks for them.
- Owes a large, growing debt to an employer or recruiter that they can't pay off.
- Lives where they work, or gets moved between places often.
- Seems scared, anxious or scripted, especially around one particular person.
- Has signs of physical abuse, exhaustion or untreated medical problems.
- Is a minor involved in commercial sex. Under U.S. law that is trafficking, whether or not force is used.
You don't have to be sure to call.
1-888-373-7888The National Human Trafficking Hotline is free, confidential and available 24/7, with support in more than 200 languages. Lumen does not operate a crisis line. If a situation is happening now, contact the hotline directly.
Get involved
Lumen Freedom Initiative is in its founding stage, and we are looking for people who want to help build it. Email us with your background and how you would like to contribute.
Volunteer
We are looking for volunteers in research, design, video, social media, fundraising and outreach.
VolunteerPartner with us
We welcome schools, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits and businesses interested in working together on prevention and education.
Get in touchFollow our work
Updates, research and educational content on Instagram and TikTok.