Petra Bagust and actor Ido Drent's fight against human-trafficking diary: Day Six

Television presenter Petra Bagust and actor Ido Drent were in Thailand and Cambodia for just under a week, to get a first-hand understanding of the human-trafficking industry. They will visited Tearfund's local anti-trafficking partners who work to rescue and rehabilitate trafficking victims and prosecute offenders. They shared daily video diaries of their travels with the Herald.

After spending time in Cambodia and Thailand experiencing first hand what's being done by organisation Tearfund and its partners in the fight against human-trafficking, Petra Bagust and Ido Drent are heading home to live below the line.

From September 19 to 23, they will spend $2.85 a day on food - the equivalent of the extreme poverty line.

Bagust and Drent, of Offspring fame, will be joined by Laura Thompson, who played villain Victoria on Shortland Street and Filthy Rich star Emma Fenton, who plays Savannah.

Kiwi chefs Michael Meredith, Geoff Scott, Bevan Smith and Peta Mathias will be creating 95 cent recipes for the participants.

Drent and Bagust have been in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phnom Penh and rural Cambodia meeting with Tearfund's partners in the fight against trafficking, as well as connecting with those who have been helped to freedom by the organisations.

They shared daily video diaries of their journey through with the Herald, ahead of their participation in Tearfund's Live Below the Line campaign which will see them eating on $2.85 a day from September 19 to 23 and raising money to fight human trafficking.

Human trafficking is an organised criminal activity that uses deception, coercion and force to transport and harbour human beings for the purpose of exploitation.

According to Tearfund, 21 million people are trapped in slavery today, more than at any other time in history, 4.5m people are trapped in forced sexual exploitation and US$99 billion (NZ$136b) is earned through sex trafficking and exploitation.

The average age of victims trafficked into prostitution is 12 and people living below the international extreme poverty line (on $2.85 a day or less) are most vulnerable to being trafficked.

Kiwis can join Bagust and Drent by signing up at www.livebelowtheline.org.nz