Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels Donates R150,000 To Help Human Trafficking Survivors Rebuild Their Lives

Human trafficking can take many forms, and its victims are not always who people expect them to be. While women and children remain particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation, thousands of men are also targeted by traffickers who lure them with promises of lucrative jobs, only to trap them in situations of forced labour, abuse and criminal exploitation.

For Brave to Love, a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting human trafficking, sexual exploitation and injustice, rescue is only the beginning. Helping survivors regain their independence, rebuild their confidence and take control of their futures is just as important.

This week, Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels Fund donated an incredible R150,000 to the organisation to support its rescue operations and Brave Freedom Hub, an enterprise and skills development programme that helps survivors take meaningful steps towards financial independence.

Founded to support people affected by human trafficking and exploitation, Brave to Love works closely with law enforcement agencies and social services to rescue victims, provide rehabilitation and restoration, and help survivors reintegrate into society. To date, the organisation has supported 380 women, girls and, more recently, young men.

One of its most significant interventions took place last year, when Brave to Love participated in a multinational operation that resulted in the safe return of 143 South Africans, most of them men aged between 18 and 35, who had been trafficked to Myanmar and forced to work in cyber-scam compounds.

The men had responded to social media advertisements offering well-paying office jobs in destinations such as Bangkok. After completing online interviews, they received employment contracts, with their supposed employers paying for their flights to Thailand.

But what appeared to be a legitimate job opportunity quickly became a nightmare. Upon arrival, their passports were taken, and they were forced at gunpoint into trucks and transported across the border into Myanmar. There, they were held in compounds and forced to operate online investment and romance scams. Those who refused to comply faced physical and psychological punishment.

Two of the young men who survived this ordeal, Prince Mashego and Tiyanu Lubbe, joined Brave to Love Founder and CEO Emma van der Walt at Jacaranda FM to share their story and highlight the work still needed to help survivors move forward.

For van der Walt and her team, the challenge does not end when a survivor is brought home. Many people need ongoing trauma support, rehabilitation and practical assistance before they can begin rebuilding their lives. Returning to their families, finding employment or reintegrating into society can be difficult, particularly after experiencing prolonged abuse and exploitation.

This is where the Brave Freedom Hub plays a vital role. The programme provides practical business training, financial literacy, vocational skills and mentorship to survivors who are ready to take the next step towards independence. Participants are supported in developing their own micro-businesses or finding sustainable employment, giving them the tools to build financial security on their own terms.

“It’s heartbreaking to think that people can be lured by the promise of a better future, only to have their freedom taken away from them. What Brave to Love is doing goes far beyond rescue, they’re helping survivors rebuild their lives, regain their independence and believe in a future on their own terms,” Jacaranda FM’s Martin Bester says. “Through Good Morning Angels, we’re proud to support this important work and help more people find a way forward. Everyone deserves the chance to live freely, safely and with dignity.”

By addressing the economic vulnerability that can leave people exposed to exploitation, the programme offers survivors more than a fresh start. It creates a pathway towards lasting independence, dignity and the freedom to shape their own futures. 

The R150,000 donation from the Jacaranda FM Good Morning Angels Fund will help Brave to Love continue its rescue work and equip more survivors with the skills and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives.