A Voice For The Voiceless

How much are we paying attention to the young woman on the street, at the corner store, in the parking lot, or walking up and down the street with the lost look on her face?  Most of us can say, not much.  Often times I find myself thinking, what has led them to this lifestyle.  Is it an abusive home environment, addiction, poverty, lack of parenting, human trafficking or any number of unfortunate circumstances that have forced her into this lifestyle of using a street corner or main parking lot to sell her most prized possession, her body and soul.

According to the Polaris Project, of the 27 million individuals that fall victim to human trafficking, 70% are female victims who are trafficked into the commercial sex industry.  How horrible this must be, to be forced out of your element or bamboozled, to only find yourself in a situation that you are physically unable to get out of.  Just imagine being somewhere and having no idea where you are and the only person that you know is your pimp, so to speak.  This situation has to be the worst case scenario, but sadly enough is the daily truth for many women and men as I’m writing these very words.

The other day I spoke with someone that advised me of an agency that is over capacity for girls and women found to be victims of human trafficking and prostitution that had recently reached out to individuals in the faith based community to seek housing for them, and was turned down every where she went.  How sad is this story?  I thought, how could someone present themselves as giving and loving, and then close their doors to those deeply in need.  Unfortunately, all too often, this is the situation for victims found in these circumstances, and it must stop.  These could be our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, and god children and we are steadily walking by them, turning our cheeks, and watching the only gateways to life on this earth be positioned for demise.

We must do something, whether that be writing our Congressman, State Representatives, speaking out, forming coalitions, or simply letting a victim or suspected victim of human trafficking know that someone cares about them.  There are several organizations that you can contact to help if you suspect that an individual is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact The National Human TraffickingResource Center and find out where to seek help in your local community. 

Be aware.  Be active.  Be caring. We owe it to be a voice for those that have yet found theirs.

Peace & Love

Edquina