Anti-Trafficking Advocate | NGO Founder | International Human Rights Leader
Sr Imelda Poole is a British-born religious sister of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) and a leading figure in the international movement against human trafficking. After a long career in education and grassroots mission in the UK, she moved to Albania in 2005 to respond to the growing crisis of human trafficking, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Tirana.
In 2012, she co-founded the Mary Ward Loreto Foundation, a pioneering NGO working to combat modern slavery through prevention, advocacy, and survivor reintegration. She also co-founded and served as President of Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE), which now operates in 31 European countries.
Imelda has received several international honors for her tireless advocacy, including an MBE from Prince Charles in 2018, the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Hero Award in 2021, and an honorary doctorate from Liverpool Hope University in 2024—each awarded in recognition of the collective work of her teams at MWL and RENATE. Her life’s mission is rooted in dignity, justice, and systemic change for the most vulnerable.