A former member of Grace Road Church (GRC) has come forward with serious allegations claiming that the church operates under conditions akin to slavery. The unidentified Korean American woman shared her harrowing experience after spending nearly eight years at True Mart in Navua, Fiji. She described workers, including the elderly, being forced to work demanding hours—12-hour shifts, seven days a week—with little to no rest.
The woman is particularly concerned about the well-being of her children, who she asserts were primarily raised by other women in the community during her absence. She emphasized that shopping at GRC establishments indirectly supports the exploitation of around 300 workers.
Furthermore, she recounted the stark realities of life at the farm, illustrating that health care was nonexistent. Even sick individuals, regardless of age, were compelled to work. She recounted an incident involving an elderly woman, approximately 80 years old, who was required to perform extensive duties in the kitchen.
In a recent interview, the woman expressed the emotional toll of family separations inflicted by the church’s practices, noting that visits were infrequent and sometimes months could pass without seeing her husband and children. Conversely, her husband defended the church’s actions as a normal practice of separation, insisting it was a personal issue rather than one related to the church.
Adding to the concern, previous reports have surfaced about Korean nationals being found in poor health and confined in a locked room at the GRC farm during an immigration raid last year.
Grace Road Church has yet to respond to these serious allegations, raising questions about the treatment of its members and the transparency of its operations.
While this situation is distressing, it also highlights the importance of awareness and advocacy for human rights. There is hope that these types of revelations can lead to greater scrutiny and eventual reform of practices that exploit vulnerable individuals, offering them the chance for a better life.
Summary: A former member of Grace Road Church has alleged that the church exploits workers under conditions similar to slavery, emphasizing grave concerns about labor practices, family separation, and poor health care. Her experiences have sparked conversations on the importance of human rights advocacy and the need for reform in organizations that undermine individual dignity.
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