Behind stands of trees, hiding in the shadows as the sun set over the 'city of love', women of all ages were preparing themselves. Watching from the road in a line of cars that stretched up the street, were the men who would pay for their services.

"A man came up to me and grabbed me by the arm and tried to pull me into his car," Kayla said.

"My friend who spoke French yelled at him to let me go....He wanted to buy me."

In that moment, the 21-year-old student's eyes were wide open and knew the fear that she felt in that split second could not be ignored.

Kayla was the speaker at an event hosted by the Hope Shop and the Mid-North Coast Fashioned 4 Freedom group on the weekend.

A breakfast, garden tea party at St Thomas' Church and Mother's Day service at Honour Church provided the opportunity for Kayla and her fellow A21 Campaign colleagues to spread the word about sex slavery and human trafficking - a 'modern day holocaust' they say is real and one of the fastest growing crimes of the 21st century.

The statistics are astonishing. More than 800,000 women and children are sold each year across the globe as slaves or into the sex trade, where many of them are beaten, drugged and forced to be with anywhere between 40 and 100 men a day. Only one per cent of those who go missing are rescued.

Of the world's estimated 27 million slaves, more than 1.4 million are imprisoned as sex workers, many of them in brothels across Europe and Asia. There are stories of families who have sold their daughters to put food on their table, to the horrific drugging and abduction of women from coffee shops and night clubs by predatory men.

"Human trafficking is real and it is happening right now in the 21st century," Kayla said. "If there is just one girl we rescue, or one trafficker we can put behind bars then we have made a difference.

"The rescue of one girl does not just save her life, it affects the people around her, her family, the generations that come after her - it contributes to a change in our culture."

The first step for communities like the Hastings is to lead future generations in the cultural shift away from an acceptance of violence.

"Events like this in Port Macquarie that start a conversation are an important pillar to the work A21 is doing. Use your life and your experience to make a difference," Kayla said.

Fashioned 4 Freedom spokeswoman and A21 supporter 16-year-old Ellie Frederick of Port Macquarie said fighting for change has never been more important.

"These girls are someone's sister, someone's daughter - we have a responsibility to do something," Ellie said.

Fashioned 4 Freedom will host two events in Port Macquarie in June for anyone interested in learning more about the A21 Campaign.

The movie Trade of Innocents will be screened at St Columba Anglican School on Friday, June 13 at 5.30pm. The $5 entry will also include hot soup, tea and coffee.

On Saturday, June 28, the Hope Shop will host a book club event at its Milton Circuit cafe between 2pm and 4.30pm.

The afternoon will discuss the text A Call To Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power written by former US president Jimmy Carter. Afternoon tea will be provided for a gold coin donation.

For more information on these events or the A21 Campaign, contact Kate Hutten on 6581 3303 or by email to katehutten@gmail.com.