From the moment they get up in the small hours to begin their 12-hour shift, children in the Bolivian sugar cane industry are living a sorry existence.

Thousands of child labourers as young as nine are made to work on plantations in South America's most poverty-stricken country, with little or no care given to their well-being.

They get no access to clean water, suffer illnesses because of soaring temperatures and food poisoning, and often cut themselves on the machetes they are forced to use for harvesting.

Bolivia — where up to 35,000 people are involved in the sugar cane industry — is sadly just one place where the disease of slavery persists in the modern world.

And while it's hard to imagine anything can be done to help them from here in Bermuda, you can at least show you're not ignorant to their hardship by signing up to the Island's first Run For Freedom.

The run — to take place in Front Street on Sunday, March 30 — aims to raise awareness of the millions of modern day slaves across the planet and generate cash to help them via anti-slavery coalition Stop The Traffik.

A 2006 report into slavery in Bolivia by Anti-Slavery International states: "In one testimony, a 13-year-old girl explained how she was taken to the plantation with her employer and her husband who was a sugar cane harvester.

"She was employed to cook, clean and prepare flour and bread. She woke up at 4 a.m. and went to sleep at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. She only received food as payment. She complained of the heat and mosquitoes, and being extremely tired all the time.

"A boy of 12 described how he was made to get up at 5 a.m. to cut sugar cane. He would work until 6 p.m. and sleep around 9 p.m.

"Children are often ill as a consequence of the difficult climate and conditions. Temperatures are high during the day but low at night, resulting in sun exposure, respiratory infections and other illnesses.

"Children are frequently malnourished and do not have access to clean water in their camp sites, and thus suffer food poisoning and other gastrointestinal illnesses.

"Accidents are common; children cut themselves with machetes and on the sugar cane leaves, as well as suffering bites from various insects and bugs on the plantations." Anti-Slavery's research found similar situations in Bolivia's Brazil nuts and mining industries.

Most child slaves have been forced into labour because their parents were slaves, having signed away their freedom by accepting advances in cash and goods from subcontractors hired to recruit workers.

They are sent to the plantation to repay their debts, and are made to work incredible hours for little or no reward until they have fully repaid what they owe.

Because they are not paid in cash, the only way to get food and goods is to go into further debt to their owners. This creates a vicious circle that means some never become debt-free and remain permanently tied to the plantation.

On the abuse suffered by slaves, the Anti-Slavery report states: "Many workers are unaware of just how bad their working conditions are compared to other people, as they have never known anything else, nor are they aware of their rights as indigenous peoples.

"There is clear control of the movement of workers and their freedom. Often, there are armed guards that prevent the workers from leaving or the boss has people in the towns keeping an eye out for any workers that try to leave.

"Threats and the use of violence against families are common. A newspaper report described how workers were punished for not working a full ten-hour day. Punishments included their own subsistence crops or shacks being destroyed, or even their animals being killed."

Run For Freedom organiser Charlotte Wilberforce — the great-great-great granddaughter of UK slave emancipator William Wilberforce — said: "Run For Freedom is raising awareness of all forms of modern day slavery and supports Stop the Traffik and Anti-Slavery International.

"These charities work at local, national and international levels to eliminate the system of slavery around the world by urging governments of countries with slavery to develop and implement measures to end it, and lobbying governments and intergovernmental agencies to make slavery a priority issue.

"Anyone who takes part will be helping support research to assess the scale of slavery in order to identify measures to end it.

"They will also be helping Stop The Traffik work with local organisations to raise public awareness of slavery and educate the public about the realities of slavery — and campaign for its end."

The run will begin in Front Street and end with a party in Barr's Bay Park, with organisers hoping to host a concert and show movies of slavery old and new.

It is just one mile long and walking is allowed as well as running, so there is little excuse not to take part.

To sign up for the run, e-mail runforfreedom@yahoo.com.