I Am Not Your Slave is the true story of a young African girl who was abducted from southwestern Africa and funneled through an extensive yet almost completely unknown human trafficking network spanning the entire African continent. As she is transported from the point of her abduction on a remote farm and channeled to her ultimate destination in Dubai, her three-year odyssey exposes the brutal horrors of a modern day middle passage. During her ordeal, Tupa encounters members of Africa’s notorious gangs, terrifying witchdoctors, mysterious middlemen from China, corrupt police and border officials, Arab smugglers, and high-ranking United Nations officials. And of course, Tupa meets her fellow trafficking victims, young women and girls from around the world. Tupa’s incredible experience, including her daring escape and eventual return home, sheds light on the most shocking aspects of slavery today, as well as the essential determination to be free. 

“This incredible story offers three important insights: how it is possible for someone to be trafficked, why it might not be immediately apparent someone is in slavery, and, most important, why the antislavery movement needs strong survivor advocates like Tupa Tjipombo.” —Joanna Ewart-James, executive director, Freedom United

“A riveting story of a young girl’s courage in the face of unimaginable terror, her determination to fight for her dignity—and above all, her courage to speak out and break the silence about the human trafficking nightmare we have ignored for too long.” —JULIAN SHER, author of Somebody’s Daughter: The Hidden Story of America’s Prostituted Children and the Battle to Save Them

"[A] vivid, soulful account with personal details, yet hers cannot be called a singular story."— Booklist

"For readers who wish to understand more fully the grim reality of human trafficking."— Library Journal Online

"Her unflinching determination to survive drives the book and drags her readers kicking and screaming and clutching for respite...reading I Am Not Your Slave will move even the most stoic." — BookTrib

Tupa Tjipombo is the pseudonym of a Namibian woman who is currently pursuing her college degree in her homeland while volunteering at a shelter for orphaned and vulnerable children. Chris Lockhart, PhD, is a widely published academic author. He currently lives and works in Namibia as a global health consultant for international development agencies.