Members of the Dr Martens legal team at A21 HQ
An estimated 50 million people worldwide are living in modern slavery today - more than at any other time in history. Behind that number are lives stripped of safety, autonomy and the freedom to be yourself.
By teaming up with our partner A21, the Dr. Martens Legal Team took part in a simple but powerful act to help survivors of slavery begin rebuilding who they are. Here’s how:
STEP 1: PACKING THE ESSENTIALS
From socks to snacks to toiletries – the Legal team came together at A21 HQ to fill, wrap and stack dozens of empty boxes with everyday items.
For people trapped in slavery, these sort of basics - clean clothes, toiletries, small comforts - are taken away. Without them, it becomes harder to hold onto security, dignity, and a sense of identity.
STEP 2: REACHING SAFE SPACES
Once packed, each hamper began its journey to survivor shelters across London. A21 supports shelters across the globe - from Thessaloniki to Cape Town to Bangkok - to make sure critical support is at hand when people break free from trafficking.
These spaces aren’t just about giving survivors a safe place to stay. Here, they can also access services like counselling, legal assistance, education, and skills training to help them find justice, and reclaim independence.
STEP 3: HOPE, DELIVERED
After the Legal team’s hampers arrived, they were handed out to survivors.
When Mariam broke free from exploitation, hampers like these from A21 helped her believe that she could rebuild who she was:
…I was removed from the trafficker’s home and connected with A21. From that moment I felt hopeful again. A21 provided immediate shelter for my safety and gave me a welcome pack with essential items - small things that helped me feel human again. Deodorant, body wash, a toothbrush.” - Mariam
STEP 4: A LESSON FOR LASTING HOPE
One of the key takeaways the Legal team left with was ‘No one person can do everything. But every one of us can do something.’
Brreaking the cycle of trafficking is complex, but small, collective actions can create real change. In just a few hours, the Legal Team turned empty boxes into packages that helped survivors take their first steps towards stability, confidence and a future shaped on their own terms.
Thank you to our partner A21 and to the Dr. Martens Legal Team volunteers for helping survivors of modern slavery reclaim who they are and who they can become.
