We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bruce Ladebu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bruce below.

Bruce , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

We rescue children and adults from sex trafficking and labor slavery. As of today we have rescued 2378 children and adults. In the last two months we have put 8 traffickers in jail.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

“Bruce Ladebu spent 20 years as a professional adventurer, explorer, and guide traveling to some of the wildest places on earth including first ascents in the arctic and an expedition on the polar ice cap. He also spent time over three winters in the Canadian Rockies following and photographing wolves and other wildlife. He has guided hundreds of clients in climbing, survival, wilderness expeditions and other adventure sports.

Since then, Bruce has started a number of organizations and has advised leaders in many nations along with speaking in those nations. He has extensive training in tactical skills and has trained in multiple combative arts, including Krav Maga, Silat, and Systema. He has completed two multi-week courses in executive protection.

In the early 90’s Bruce traveled through the ex-Soviet Union countries and saw the terrible conditions children were forced to live in, including the marketing of young girls and boys forced into sex trafficking. Then in 2009, after witnessing labor slavery firsthand, Bruce worked to develop a strategy to rescue these individuals, and the Children’s Rescue Initiative was formed. As of August 2023, Bruce and his teams have rescued 2,378 children and adults from labor slavery/sex trafficking and given them a start at a new life.

His first book, “Out of the Slave Fields” is published and he’s working on a second book about his life story.”

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Running an organization that confronts the issue of human trafficking in very challenging. There is not an easy day. Even when I am not directly rescuing and doing speaking or administrative tasks, the through of the enslaved children rarely leave my thoughts. The only way I can sometimes continue is to keep the vision in front of me.

There are times I have wanted to quit but I keep going for the children.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The greatest lesson that I have learned about leadership is to build team or promote a person according to their character and not their giftings.

I have experienced this by moving too fast with people who were skilled and gifted without really knowing who they were and what character they possessed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thechildrensrescue.org
• Instagram: thechildrensrescue
• Facebook: The Children’s Rescue Initiative
• Linkedin: Children’s Rescue Initiative