Transforming lives, breaking the cycle of trafficking, slavery, and abuse, no matter what it takes or how long it takes.
About Hagar
Hagar is an international organisation dedicated to preventing modern slavery and supporting individuals affected by trafficking, slavery, exploitation and abuse. We believe in seeing each survivor, walking with them, and doing whatever it takes to bring healing. Since our founding, Hagar alongside our supporters, have empowered over 30,000 survivors of human trafficking, slavery, and abuse to rebuild their lives and create a positive impact in their communities.
Restoring Lives
Hagar provides holistic care to walk alongside survivors during the healing process. We know that this journey is not linear, so we deliver tailored, community-based care specialised towards the individual. Grounded in compassion and clinical best practice, this support gives survivors the tools they need to heal and thrive.
Protecting Futures
Prevention is at the root of what we do at Hagar. That’s why we empower survivors, families and the communities around them to prevent abuse before it begins. This focus on education, economic opportunity and public awareness allows for survivors to lead, educate and transform their communities, strengthening long-term safety.
Strengthening Systems
Community is what makes people who they are. That’s why we work with survivor leaders who use their experiences to advocate for reform, driving systemic change to protect the vulnerable. Focussing on prosecution, capacity building and advocacy alongside survivors puts these communities on track to break the cycle of human trafficking.
We believe that together, we can make a difference, one life at a time. Let's create a world where freedom, dignity, and equality are the birth right of every individual.
Our History
How did Hagar first begin?
Hagar was founded in 1994, inspired by Hagar’s story in the Bible, when a Swiss expatriate and his wife met a woman in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She was physically and emotionally shattered by domestic violence and the trauma of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Moved by her plight, they began walking the long road of restoration alongside her, providing holistic support that helped her rebuild her life.
The story of Hagar that inspired this act starts four thousand years ago, when a young woman named Hagar fled into the Egyptian desert. Heavily pregnant, she was escaping abuse and exploitation. Broken and alone, Hagar longed for freedom and cried out for help. That was where God met her. There in her darkest moment, God gave Hagar a promise - that her suffering would not be the end of her story. Hagar’s pain ultimately became a pathway to restoration and dignity, and her legacy carries on to this day.
Hagar’s mission is rooted in a journey of transformation, empowering survivors to reclaim their own lives, and supporting communities to prevent systemic exploitation.
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Where we work
Hagar Australia supports work in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
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How we work
Read about our tailored approach to helping survivors of modern slavery.
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Meet the team
Meet Hagar Australia’s board and executive Staff.
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Join us
How you can take action against modern slavery with Hagar.
