Princess Eugenie describes ‘heartbreaking’ experience that inspired her to set up Anti-Slavery Collective

Princess Eugenie is on a determined mission to end modern slavery.

Her journey began with a life-changing trip to India with her mother. sarah fergusonand her best friend, Julia de Boinville. The visit sparked an awareness that would forever redefine Eugenie’s working life and ultimately lead her to co-founding. Anti-Slave CollectiveA non-profit organization working to end modern slavery and human trafficking.

“My mother took Julia and me to India when we were 21. In Kolkata, we met Aloka Mitra, who has been leading programs supporting vulnerable women and children in India for over 35 years and is one of the most inspiring women I have ever met.” The 34-year-old Princess Eugenie tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“Aloka introduced us to a group of young girls she saved from modern slavery. Hearing their harrowing stories of abuse, neglect and exploitation was heartbreaking but also deeply inspiring,” said Eugenie, the deceased’s granddaughter. Queen Elizabethhe remembers. “If this group of young women had the strength and resilience to take their lives back, I felt like we had a responsibility to do something.”

After this moment of enlightenment, Ferguson’s youngest daughter, Eugenie and Prince Andrew – and de Boinville felt compelled to take action and find ways they could personally drive change.

“Jules and I spent several years learning more, researching and meeting with experts, and in 2017 we founded the Anti-Slavery Collective. All these years later, I will never forget those young women; Their stories continue to inspire me even today.”

Eugenie shared her personal story with PEOPLE to highlight My EpiphanyThe Anti-Slavery Collective’s powerful series of short films is now available on the charity’s website and social media channels. It continues throughout December, My Epiphany It showcases deeply personal stories from journalists, activists, CEOs and former police officers, all united in the fight against modern slavery.

At the beginning of the series, British journalist and ITV newsreader Julie Etchingham describes her emotional encounter with a Nigerian woman who was trafficked to the UK and forced into sex work. The scars on the woman’s arms serve as a permanent reminder of the abuse she experienced.

De Boinville, the charity’s co-founder, told PEOPLE there were “many unforgettable moments” that affected him personally.

“After returning from India, we wanted to visit a safe house in the UK to learn more about modern slavery happening close to home,” she says.

“In 2017, we met a woman called Seema in a safe house on the outskirts of London,” De Boinville recalls. “As a young girl growing up in the United Kingdom, Seema was sold into a gang by a neighbor. During this safe house meeting, Seema told us that after all the trauma she had experienced, she wanted to become a social worker to help other survivors.”

In addition to raising awareness, one of the key goals of the Anti-Slavery Collective is to provide education in schools and communities and to work towards the UN goal of ending the global epidemic of modern slavery by 2030.

“In the UK you are never more than a mile away from someone living under extreme exploitation,” says Sarah Woodcock, chief executive of The Anti-Slavery Collective.

“It often comes as a surprise to people that the US and the UK are source, transit and destination countries for trafficked men, women and children,” she adds. “One in every 150 people living in the world today is trapped in modern slavery. It’s a shocking statistic.”

Woodcock considers the issue of child abuse in modern slavery as follows: “Worldwide, it is estimated that one in four victims of modern slavery is a child.”

She adds: “I find any story of child exploitation distressing, but having a child of my own has really brought this into focus. I’m constantly amazed by my children’s sense of justice. They have a very clear idea of ​​what’s right and what’s wrong. When you have to talk to children about difficult topics, you can see the shock and disappointment in their eyes.” “Seeing that disappointment is something that I think every parent knows all too well, and it encourages me to do more to make the world a better place for future generations.”

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With the support of her sister Princess Beatrice (who also serves as the charity’s strategic advisor), their mother Ferguson, their cousin Zara Tindalland a host of celebrities, Eugenie and de Boinville held their first premiere in November last year. Opening Freedom Force The event, held at Battersea Arts Center in London, included an auction and a performance. Ed Sheeranraised more than $1 million for charity.