Meet Bryana, Going Against Human Trafficking
This year, our FIS students will be participating in the 24-hour race once again. We had the opportunity to meet Bryana, who is deeply committed…
This year, our FIS students will be participating in the 24-hour race once again. We had the opportunity to meet Bryana, who is deeply committed to this great initiative. So, we took the chance to ask her a few questions to better understand what this race is about and how we can support it.
Can you quickly introduce yourself and tell us what is your role in this initiative?
My name is Bryana, and I am a Y13 student who has been at FIS since Reception Class. Over the past year, I have played a significant role in the 24 Hour Race community as a Team Leader. I am continuing this commitment of mine by serving as the Co-Executive director of the race, overseeing over 20 committee members and directors in total. My key role is to ensure a successful race to achieve the mission of the 24 Hour Race. Specifically, some key elements I am focusing on are budgeting, securing sponsorships, creating and managing project timelines. I am elated with FIS’s involvement in this initiative, and I am excited for the race!
What is this race about ?
The 24 Hour Race is a Running To Stop The Traffik initiative that empowers high school students to lead the movement and to end modern slavery. Millions of vulnerable individuals are unable to access freedom, safety and other necessities. Therefore, thousands of high school students around the globe gather for 24 hours to bring awareness to this cause. Teams of 8 are required to fundraise a minimum of $10,000HKD prior to the race, which is then distributed between The 24 Hour Race charity and the A21 charity. The 24 Hour Race (Running To Stop The Traffik) is a Hong Kong-registered charity which hosts a plethora of anti-human-trafficking initiatives, including mentoring workshops and student leadership programs. Additionally, the charity collaborates with the international anti-trafficking organisation A21, supporting their frontline work in Thailand and Cambodia. Some of A21’s current projects include providing legal assistance to survivors for 1 month, survivor health care budget for 2 months, support reach programs in Cambodia for 1 week and supporting child advocacy centres for a whole month.
On November 23rd-24th, the teams will participate in a relay-style race around the Peak Circle Walk for 24 hours. At the end of the race, awards are presented to the team that fundraised the most amount of money, the team that ran the most laps, and the most spirited teams! In addition to this, individual runners may also compete against one other to win the prize of the fastest male and female runner.
Why do you think it is important to fight against human trafficking ?
I strongly believe that it is important to fight against human trafficking. This is a global issue that transcends borders. Despite living in one of the top global financial cities, human trafficking is still significantly prevalent in our community through forced labour and sex trafficking. What strikes me most is the violation of basic human rights, where humans are treated in an inhumane way. In addition to this, Covid-19 and climate change have exacerbated the number of people impacted by this issue, making victims of human trafficking more vulnerable than ever before.
We've heard that you ran last year's race? Was it a good experience?
Indeed, last year, my team of 8 successfully raised a remarkable total of $41,640HKD through online donations, bake sales and selling customised merchandise to the FIS community. Thanks to the incredible support from parents, teachers and fellow FIS students, we were able to secure the most fundraised award out of over 200 runners. Furthermore, we won the award of 2nd fastest team, running a total of 217 km. I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to enrol several teams in this year’s race in comparison to our single team last year! I have no doubt that we will perform just as well or even better than last year!
Meet the new teams running this year and help them hit their fundraising goal !
