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As part of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s royal tour of Poland and Germany, Kate Middleton met with a Salvation Army representative working in the field of anti-trafficking at a garden party in Warsaw, Poland, to mark the Queen’s birthday.
Joanna Trela, The Salvation Army’s Project Manager for Anti-Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery in Poland, was part of a small group of people who met the Duchess of Cambridge for a private conversation on the issue.
Tresla runs a project, which raises awareness of modern slavery in Poland and offers employment support to former victims. She also helps run a job checking service, which aims to prevent people accepting offers of employment from criminals posing as employment agencies, who seek to trick and trade unsuspecting individuals into countries such as the U.K. The scheme in Poland is funded by The Salvation Army in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland Territory’s International Projects Office.
Pictured alongside David Magnus, National Crime Agency International Liaison Officer, Tresla spoke to the Duchess alongside representatives from the Polish police force, and the charity La Strada. The Salvation Army in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland works in partnership with La Strada, so that Polish victims of modern slavery who choose to return to Poland after receiving specialist support from The Salvation Army in the U.K., receive ongoing support when they return home. This spirit of partnership reflects the sentiments of the Duke of Cambridge who, in a speech earlier at the event, spoke of how much there is to celebrate about the warmth of the relationship between Poland and the U.K.
Similarly, when the Duchess asked the group about collaboration within the anti-trafficking sector, Tresla explained how The Salvation Army in the U.K., Poland, and across the world, work together and with other agencies to combat this heinous crime.
“The Duchess of Cambridge was clearly well informed and very interested in the problem of human trafficking,” Tresla said. “It was a warm and relaxed meeting and we were delighted to receive her acknowledgement of the importance of The Salvation Army’s work across Poland and the U.K. to stamp out this cruel exploitation of people.”
From news.salvationarmy.org.uk
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