When Sadhna* describes her childhood, her face lights up. She remembers running through bright green rice paddies around her village in India, playing with friends and plucking ripe mangoes from the shady trees near her home.
She was a bit of a tomboy—always up to some sort of playful mischief—and always fiercely loyal to her dad, mom and little sister back at home.
When her father died, though, Sadhna's perfect little world fell apart.
Read MoreHow many young people who are exploited by human trafficking and slavery can relate to the feeling of their whole world being turned upside down? Those who exploit the innocent know how to prey on the vulnerable. Young people in the foster care system are primed to fall victim: no one looking out for them; moving from place to place; and feeling like their value is in the money the government pays to those who are to be caring for them. Their lives can be filled with trauma. They don’t know anything different.
But what if it could be different? How are these young people to protect themselves and overcome the obstacles in their path? Here is the first hand account of one such warrior.
Read MoreThe terms human trafficking and prostitution are often used interchangeably with one another. When we do this, we make inappropriate distinctions between two similar, but very different, realities. While this seems insignificant on the surface, the consequences of using the wrong terminology can be detrimental.
Read MoreSlavery was eradicated in the United States in 1865, but a new form of slavery exists today. Although it may be the single most important societal problem we face, human trafficking is not recognized as it should be. It is the fastest-growing industry in organized crime in the world.
Read MoreWhen I was 21, I was manipulated again, but this time it was by a man who ended up roping me into a life of human trafficking. At the time, I didn’t know that what I was facing had a name, much less how to even begin to escape it.
Read MoreWe recently had the opportunity to move one of our clients into her first apartment. We were so honored to watch her transition from a group home to an apartment of her own.
Read MoreBrittney Johnson is a 14-year-old transgender youth who entered the justice system in 2016 as a Child in Need of Services (CHINS). She was caught shoplifting and refused to follow her parents’ directions.
Read MoreNot long after the wedding, her husband proposed going to Italy together to earn some money and live a better life. As soon as they arrived, he sold her to another Bulgarian running a brothel there.
Read MoreThe holiday season is one that emphasizes the importance of family and reconnecting with those that matter most to us. However, for many survivors of exploitation, this is a painful time in which they may have been separated from their families because of the trauma they experienced.
Read MoreOn an early morning, one of our advocates got a panicked phone call from a client who was trapped in a motel room in south central Los Angeles. She didn’t know where she was, nor did she know the man who had brought her there. She was scared and asking for help.
Read MoreFor Naseen, the ceremony was a chance to close out the pain of her past and celebrate the new journey she and her friends are beginning. Her smile lit up the room. And where she once struggled to feel joy, today she beams with confidence and hope.
Read MoreSlavery is ending because people are turning away from traffickers before becoming victims, because people are seeking, finding, and listening to victims, and because people are changing laws, policies, and practices to deter people from becoming traffickers or customers of slaves.
Read More18-year-old Pavi* has grown from the despair of the sex industry to the joys of a successful young athlete—and today she’s dreaming even bigger for her future.
Read MoreVery soon after arriving in Greece, Nina’s boyfriend forced her into prostitution, threatening her with physical harm, as well as, the well-being of her child if she did not comply.
Read MoreMcMahon/Ryan had a youth come through the center who was an identified victim in a rather involved sex abuse/child pornography case. We will call her Sarah.* Sarah was part of an investigation involving New York State Police and Homeland Security.
Read More“E"* was born and raised in rural Central America. She had a happy childhood. But by the time she was 11, she and her two younger siblings were orphans.
Read MoreInternational Justice Mission (IJM) helped Kolkata’s anti-trafficking police rescue two victims at a private home, and arrest five criminals who were selling them for sex, including a notorious trafficker named Archana* we have been pursuing for years.
Read More*Trigger Warning: The following is a true story of a survivor of abuse. Please consider this before reading further.
Ann Marie* lived with extended family during her early teenage years. At 13, she was brought by a relative to a compound that housed a religious cult
Read MoreLove146 met Peggy* when she was 5-years-old. She came to a feeding center they set up in a street community of children at high risk for sexual exploitation and trafficking. She was malnourished and had so much fear in her eyes. She screamed at the sight of men. Her injuries and infections seemed to answer questions that she wasn’t ready to speak about, yet we also saw a bright spirit in her.
Read MoreAt times in her childhood, Maddie* experienced homelessness. Poverty and the lack of caring adults in her life made her vulnerable, and her sexual exploitation began at a young age. This included a sickening cyber-porn operation in which she was exploited in front of a webcam. Maddie came to Love146 at age 11, where she received trauma-informed counselling, individualized care, and was able to explore lots activities that interested her, including gardening, caring for farm animals, and sports.
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