The Mekong Club is a nonprofit organization that works with the private sector to address modern slavery and related crimes.

ABOUT THE MEKONG CLUB

The Mekong Club works with the private sector to bring about sustainable practices against modern slavery across the globe. Companies can join the Mekong Club as Members to enjoy a range of benefits, anti-slavery tools, resources, and consultations. We have created a community of like-minded peers across different industries, working together to address modern slavery. Through these efforts, our mission is to inspire and engage the private sector to work together towards creating a slave-free world.


THE BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY

Thirty years ago, Matt Friedman, CEO and founder of The Mekong Club, worked as a senior USAID public health official across Asia, focused on education and prevention of HIV/AIDS in small rural communities.

As part of Matt’s work, he visited many shelters where he repeatedly heard the same themes of horror. His first interview was with a fifteen-year-old girl telling him she was sexually abused over seven thousand times. She did this for two years until she was forced to leave because she suffered from various diseases that turned customers away.

Matt soon realized that, just as this young girl had been exploited for sex, millions more were being exploited across the world. This exploitation was happening in the sex industry but also permeates global supply chains, from factories to farms to fishing boats.

Matt began to work in the United Nations in the anti-trafficking world, where he worked closely with the public and private sectors across Asia. During his tenure, he noticed a gap in engagement with the private sector in their anti-trafficking efforts. Not because they didn’t want to, but because they feared being named or shamed for approaching a UN official to ask for help.

As a result, Matt left the United Nations and started The Mekong Club in Asia’s financial centre, Hong Kong, to provide a safe space for companies worldwide to work together to help identify and eliminate forced labour in the private sector.


OUR JUST CAUSE

We imagine a slave-free world whereby businesses collectively redefine how to approach social sustainability. Whereby working professionals wake up every morning feeling inspired and fulfilled by their work, knowing that the children, men, and women who have fallen victim to the actions of criminals, can return home safely to their families.

 We believe the best way to build this world is to commit to making it together.


OUR VALUES 

Collaboration for betterment- Tackling the issue at hand with businesses serious about making a difference. 

Innovate to regenerate - Continuously share ideas and encourage others to do the same. We share in each other’s successes and failures to better the world around us.

Equip for action - Engage in a proactive pursuit to empower and inspire with the resources to act and make a difference.

Adopt an unconventional approach - Embrace new ways of doing that leave long-lasting impacts on the future, not just short-term fixes.


WHAT WE DO

We started The Mekong Club to share knowledge in the anti-trafficking world with as many professionals as possible. Today, The Mekong Club is a place for any size company, industry or working professional to learn and encompass new ideas to advance our Just Cause around the world.

Here’s how we do it:

- Trainings
- Consultations
- Policy Reviews
- Baseline Assessment
- Community Engagement
- Awareness Raising
- Online Tools & Resources

The Mekong Club

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We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

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Did you know that over 50 million men, women, and children around the world are currently trapped in modern slavery? These people work for little or no pay to produce the food that we eat, the clothes that we wear, the electronics that we buy. 

The end of this year marks our 10-year anniversary in working to bring about sustainable business practices against modern slavery and related crimes, such as human trafficking and forced labour.

To celebrate our 10th anniversary and recognize all the hard work of non-profits in the anti-trafficking field, we wanted to do something different to raise awareness on the issue. Something bold and new to provide much-needed awareness on the issue of human trafficking through NFTs.

As such, the club embraced emerging technology and launched the first-ever NFT fundraiser on Cardano Network in collaboration with NMKR, a leading brand developing blockchain-related tools for businesses, artists, developers, and self-starters. Three generous NFT artists are providing digital art and donating funds raised.

By holding this NFT fundraiser, the Mekong Club hopes to include everyone in our vision of a slave-free world in which businesses collectively redefine social sustainability. Whereby working professionals wake up every morning inspired and fulfilled by their work, knowing that children, men, and women who have been victims of criminals' actions can return home safely to their families.

We believe that committing to building this slave-free world together is the best way forward. The greater the public awareness of the issue, the more encouragement the private sector must provide to end modern slavery.


Impactful Funds

We intend to use all net proceeds from this NFT fundraiser to support educating people about human trafficking around the world. The Club will use the funds to share and provide resources to the private sector to detect and prevent crime to stay ahead of criminals.

The money we have raised over the years is no longer sufficient to expand and scale our work. The funds raised will help us reach more companies to prevent, identify and help victims of human trafficking.


A Victims Story

“When I was 21 years old, I heard that many factories in Thailand offered work along the ocean peeling shrimp. So I went there. I didn’t know which one had work, so I just chose one. The man who managed the factory said I could have a job. We negotiated a salary of US$50 a month. For me, this was a huge amount of money. But he said I couldn’t leave the factory. I was okay with this. I needed the money so I agreed. After working 18 hours a day for nearly two months, I went to the employer and asked for my pay. He smiled and laughed before saying, “I am sorry, I forgot to mention to you that it costs me US$54 a month to keep you here and I am only paying you US$50. So you owe me money. Until you pay it back, you cannot leave this place.” For three years, I was not able to leave. With armed security guards, barbed wire, and high walls, I couldn’t escape. None of us could. The more I worked, the more debt I owed. With so much work with nothing in return, my heart was filled with hopelessness and despair. If that fire hadn’t brought the authorities, I would never have been able to leave. I lost three years of my life. Gone...stolen from me. Something I can never get back again.” (Myanmar victim – Thailand Exploitation)

As a non-profit organisation, we help companies tackle human trafficking, like the story above along with many other stories we encounter in various sectors globally.

Help us with our end of year fundraising efforts by donating in exchange for an NFT or a contribution on Every.org.

"If we could get each person to do one thing, and 10 million people did one thing, this would create an unstoppable force for good that is so powerful, so significant, and so full of momentum that we could really make a difference. “ - Matthew Friedman, Founder & CEO of The Mekong Club






NFTs for Social Impact

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The Mekong Club