TheManWhoLovesUs

Very educated post!!! There are MORE slaves on the planet than ever in human history! An estimated 27 million or every THIRTY SECONDS a new slave is added to OUR world... Notice I didn't say "their world."

You can help me spread the word! Tell your loved ones, share it with your facebook friends, tweet it to your twitter followers... Reach out to any media outlets you know or that you would want to be an advocate for the cause for. Here is the link www.indiegogo.com/projects/fight-for-the-forgotten If you can contribute, please do!

BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! How about this... I just uploaded this never before seen video from my iPhone for the people on this IAmA thread :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf4IFnSU0MU As funny as it is... This is how I show them initially that I am friendly, that I'm there to love them, and that I trust them and they can trust me. Unique, fun, and we spend HOURS laughing a day it seems.

I thought I read spoon... and I was going to say "I have a girlfriend." ha!

This is a question with MANY different elements. First, negotiations... For hours, sometimes days we discuss all aspects with the Pygmy Chief, The Bantu Chief (the slavemaster tribe) and the local government Chief's. We do this with the dean of the University as well. We catch EVERYONE up to speed so there is not any room for miscommunication. When we all agree, we get a hand written copy, and a typed out copy signed by everyone involved on both papers. I'm talking about 7-10 signatures on every paper. We make copies of the handwritten and typed paper for everyone involved and the University catalogs them. Then we purchase land. The Pygmies have never had opportunities to purchase anything, only to trade the meat they've hunted. So the University purchases land in the Pygmies name, and once again all parties keep copies of the records. We move the pygmies onto their new land. We give them the freedom to cultivate their culture in anyway necessary, hence... They are now free. However, we do add to their physical needs. Just because they are free from slavery does not mean they are now free from malnutrition, starvation, thirst, water borne disease, malaria, Tuberculosis, etc. We try to meet these needs in stages. With them being prioritized and if we can meet them at the same time we do. Our main goal, is to get a University Research Center on the land we purchase on their behalf. If we do this, then there will be year round staff and students on the land to develop the Pygmies. I obviously have a real heart for the Pygmies with being accepted as family. However, I should also point out that the former slavemasters WANT the University close. Part of the agreement is that University Students will help the slavemaster's with things such as getting clean water, better ways of agriculture, farming, livestock, etc. It's a win, win, WIN! The Pygmies are free, the slavemasters learn MUCH better ways of sustainability, and the students get UNIVERSITY credit to help. :-)