When we think of Ricky Martin, the first thing that comes to mind is his song “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” The 1999 anthem about “living the crazy life.” But after an earth-shattering experience in India just three years later, Martin turned his attention to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to live one at all.
The Ricky Martin Foundation, launched in 2004, was the reaction to when Martin rescued three young girls from child trafficking off the impoverished streets of India. This moment is what led him to create a foundation centered around providing education and solutions for international efforts to abolish child trafficking, a modern form of slavery.
To make his work the most effective possible, Martin focused on involving the foundation in studies centered around both human and child trafficking. For instance, the study Human Trafficking in Puerto Rico and the Challenge of an Invisible Crime is touted as one of the first comprehensive studies on human trafficking in Puerto Rico. The Ricky Martin Foundation worked in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico and Johns Hopkins University.
Through Martin’s committed work to end child slavery and human trafficking, he has found himself on the 2023’s Worthy 100 list.
