Imelda Poole, a native of Great Britain, is a sister of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After many years in education in the U.K., the congregation was invited by the Archbishop of Durres-Tirane, Albania, to work in the mission against human trafficking. There, Poole cofounded an nongovernmental organization (NGO) called Mary Ward Loreto, which addresses the root causes of trafficking, including poverty, and is involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking. She serves as president of Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE), an NGO combatting human trafficking in 31 European countries.
