Manumit Coffee roaster is calling for greater support for those who suffer today as reports suggest there are 17,000 modern slavery victims in the UK,
On the day marking the abolition of slavery, a Cardiff coffee roaster is calling for greater focus on supporting survivors of modern slavery rather than looking backwards in history.
Manumit Coffee is urging for greater focus on creating reparatory justice for people impacted by human trafficking in modern conflicts, and is using the 2 December anniversary as a means to raise awareness of the issue.
According to the United Nations, modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing victims of exploitation who cannot leave relationships with an abuse of power.
In October, 56 Commonwealth leaders signed a document agreeing that the “time has come” to have discussions about reparatory justice for communities harmed by the transatlantic slave trade.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among the country leaders who signed the letter yet stated that the United Kingdom would not be making financial reparation payments.
Manumit Coffee, based in the city, is an ethically sourced coffee roasting company that trains and employs victims of human trafficking, empowering them to rebuild their lives.
Sarah Rogers, 24-year-old sales and marketing manager at Manumit Coffee, said: “We need to be having conversations where we’re raising awareness of modern-day slavery – the key word is modern.
“It’s not something that’s happened in the past” she said.
In 2023, over 17,000 people were referred to the UK Home Office as potential victims of human trafficking.
Manumit Coffee collaborates with coffee bean growers in Uganda, working to make sure beans are sourced sustainably and farmers are paid appropriately.
“Our goal is to help transform the lives of our survivors” Rogers stated, “the same way we would transform the beans from green to a roasted bean that we then make into a flat white.
“The world doesn’t know enough about slavery and we’re trying to wake people up to the reality of it,” Rogers said.
She added: “The slavery chain is just so subtle, it’s ingrained in our society, and it’s heartbreaking.”
Helping hand
Spread awareness of modern slavery issues by following these simple tips
- Price – If something is really cheap, and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘That’s too good to be true’, that’s because it probably is.
- Fashion – Invest your money in clothing that’s worthwhile. Pay more once, so that you don’t have to pay twice further down the line for your clothing.
- Charities – Support charities in the UK. They have so many resources for individuals to learn and apply to their lives and make small changes.