5 Things you can do in the next hour to fight human trafficking

Tuesday, April 1

If you've hung around here long enough, you will know that Kevin and I hate human trafficking. It is evil. It is inhumane. It is just wrong. And it destroys the very dignity of human life.

And while living in Nepal, it was a reality we faced every.single.day. 
When I looked into the eyes of the precious girls in the home, I was literally filled with anger for the people that took advantage of these children. How could someone do this?

But it's EASY to come back to our comfy homes in the USA (or wherever you live), and scratch our heads, and wonder, what the heck do I do now? Are there really avenues I can walk that will actually  make a difference with the issue of human trafficking? 

Welp, today i'm going to share 5 things you can do in the next hour to help make a dent in this fight. 

Here we go: 

1. Research trafficking issues in your own town: I knew trafficking existed in my local county, but I didn't realize it was SUCH a problem. Just last month, a girl was murdered in an affluent neighborhood a few miles away from where we live, and it was discovered that she had been trafficked there. Evidently, southern California is a huge gateway for traffickers to move victims through, and there are about 200 people rescued each year. At a conference a few weeks ago, I found out there is a Human Trafficking Task Force that helps victims of human trafficking. You can volunteer to help drive rescued victims to various appointments they may have, become a mentor, or help out with awareness events. I shared this with my friends, and a group of us are going to the next task force meeting in April to learn more about volunteering. I heard a speaker once say, "If you apply to work for our organization fighting human trafficking overseas, we are going to ask you what you did in your own neighborhood to fight human trafficking." I want my passion to end this issue be important to me no matter WHERE I live. A friend just sent me an email saying she found out there is a home for victims of trafficking opening up in Memphis, and that she is going to start volunteering. Since human trafficking is everywhere, start researching how you can get involved where you are. And if there is nothing, maybe this is your opportunity to start something:)


2. Sponsor a Child: You may be reading this, and wondering how this relates. Well, here's le deal. Most children who are trafficked around the world are those that are most vulnerable. Children who are most vulnerable tend to be those who live in abject poverty, are possibly orphaned, have no means to go to school, have no food, and in the end, have no hope. These are the children traffickers prey on the most. Sponsoring a child is a preventative way to ensure that one more child is not taken advantage of! Most sponsorship programs provide a child with food, shelter, schooling, and hope for the future! About 6 years ago I started sponsoring an adorable girl in Kenya named Maceline. I chose to sponsor through an organization called Compassion International. Not only have Maceline and I developed a friendship through letters, but a few years ago I got to go to Kenya and meet her. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Every child matters, and to think we have the privilege to help potentially prevent a child from being trafficked is pretty humbling.

3. Read and Watch Movies: To be inspired to end trafficking, we need to know what's going on. I've read some great books through the years, and have seen a number of good documentaries. There are so many, so I will just give you my favorites. Two of my favorite books have been Not for Sale by David Batstone, and Sex Trafficking by Siddarth Kara. Both are a few years old, however the information is just as powerful and haunting. I couldn't put either of them down. Another inspiring book by a woman who started the A21 campaign is called Undaunted by Christine Cain (I read this on a flight to Amsterdam and was So fired up and inspired!). The BEST movie i've ever seen on trafficking is called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. I cannot recommend a movie more than this one. It is powerful, informative, and pulls you in from the start. If you want more resources, my friend Chantal has a really great post with more information here.

4. Reach out to Foster Children: If anything has surprised me in the last year, it has been learning this fact alone: According to Stephen Bauman of World Relief, last year in California, 60% of the victims rescued from trafficking on a particular raid had at one time been foster children. 60%!! I could not believe the correlation between trafficking and foster care. It made me so sad. And yet, it makes sense that children that do not grow up in a family unit and are sent out into the world at 18 with no support system, are generally more susceptible to traffickers. Many times these traffickers pose as their boyfriends, and then begin to force them into prostitution. Spend some time praying today over children in the foster care system. If God has put it on your heart to adopt or be a foster parent, pursue this dream!! We need more loving foster and adoptive parents out there to open their homes!

5. Find a good organization fighting trafficking, and GIVE! We don't have to invent the wheel on how to fight trafficking, but we can support those who are trained in rescuing and rehabilitating the enslaved.  There are some incredible people doing wonderful things in the world, and often times what they need to keep going is money. That's just the bottom line. Here are a few organizations that I believe are worth giving to: A21 Campaign, Agape International MissionsInternational Justice Mission, Love146, Tiny Hands, Not for Sale.

There are also many wonderful businesses that sell gorgeous products made my survivors of human trafficking! Choose to shop responsibly and maybe think about going with one of these awesome companies next time you shop…here are my favorites:
Sari Bari- For stunning quilts made out of old sari's, this is my favorite. I swoon over them all:)
iSanctuary- Lovely jewelry made by survivors in India!
Free Set- This is a great company if you are looking to get bulk orders of bags/shirts printed!
Elagantees- A sweet friend sent me a shirt of theirs recently, and I love their mission!


{this bracelet above was made by 3 Strands, a company birthed out of AIM)

Friends, we are only given one life to live.
If I were trafficked and held in horrific bondage,
I would hope someone would be doing something to find and rescue me.

You are someone.
And you can do something.

I hope that's enough impetus to get you started today:)

Let's act, because we can. 

Happy Tuesday!
love Katie

*just as an fyi, the girls whose faces show in the pictures are not victims of trafficking. I never will post a picture of a child or adult who is a victim of trafficking. The girls faces you see are friends of mine, however their beautiful faces are a good reminder of those who are trapped in bondage* 

20 comments :

  1. I love Sari Bari! A friend hosted a get together a while ago and I learned about this awesome organization there! Thanks for sharing about this!

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  2. This is such a great post! There is a mission calling that God has placed on my heart, and I'm trying to figure out how I can work in that mission field when I'm in rural Kentucky.

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  3. I love this post...I hate posts that "raise awareness" of an issue but don't offer any call to action. Thanks for the practical examples of what we can be doing!

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  4. This is a problem that I find really painful to my heart. I try to keep my distance because the idea that it could ever happen to me is so legitimately scary. We went to Vegas this year and my heart just hurt. There were signs for women everywhere, being driven up and down the boulevard. At night there were multiple people on every street corner passing out cards with numbers to call. I could not help but wonder how many of those women were not there by choice. How many of those women were stuck. I also found it interesting that most of the people standing on the street corner passing out the cards were latino. What I found even more sickening were the number of women promoting the prostitution of other women. I expected it from men but not from women. (Biased I know.)

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  5. It really is such a horrific, terrible thing. Another book I'd recommend is Sold by Patricia McCormick. It's written from the perspective of a young girl who is in captivity. A powerful, quick read that provokes a lot of thought and definitely spurs action against this evil!

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  6. <3 love you and your heart Katie.
    We've been feeling very convicted lately about the possibility of moving to inner city Saskatoon and making ourselves available to help in so many ways . . . I'm not sure it will happen yet but God has really been opening our eyes and hearts and when I trace it back to where it all started from it goes back to you and Kevin and the life you lead. <3 Thanks for being such an inspiration.

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  7. Thank you so much for posting this information! I really can't thank you enough. You are an inspiration and you've encouraged me to learn even more!

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  8. Thank you for these resources., I didn't realize there was such a connection between trafficking and foster care...makes me want to adopt even more.

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    1. Agreed - thanks for these helpful links. You're providing quite an eye-opening perspective on an issue that I wasn't fully informed of. Thanks, Katie!

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  9. This is a great post! I was in an fashion show last year that was to help fundraiser and raise the awareness of human trafficking. Such a wonderful and eye opening experience.

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  10. Oh, Katie. I adore you so much. Thank you so much for writing this post. Obviously, this is a cause near and dear to my heart, but I have not made it a priority in my life lately. Per your suggestion, I found a couple local anti-human trafficking organizations that I can volunteer with. I'm going to try and sign up to make a meal for a local drop-in center! Thank you, thank you, thank you! <3

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  11. SO beautiful, Katie. So thankful the Lord has placed this so strongly on your heart and that you are such a voice for these children. It's absolutely devastating. I'll never forget the reality of finding out how huge sex trafficking is in Atlanta, my own home, just devastating. I have been blessed to support the A21 Campaign...just today they rescued another girl!! So grateful!! Thank you for using your voice to inspire!!! <3

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  12. this is great. sometimes it feels like we can't do much from here.... but you are so right - these are all great things!!

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  13. Amazing tips!! I feel like it's easy to get overwhelmed with the issue because it is so huge!! So people just give up and feel hopeless. These are very tangible options to help!

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  14. Thanks for these tips! I knew trafficking was an issue in other countries but until the last year or so, I had no idea how huge of a problem it is here in the states! Again, thanks for the tips!

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  15. Yes, yes. yes to all of this! Will definitely forward this post on to a few of my friends who've been asking about ways they can do more. Such a great resource of information in one place. Thanks for sharing Katie!

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  16. I love you. I love your passion. And I am so thankful for you!

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  17. Such a great post! Will be sharing :)

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  18. This is a great post that is really close to my heart - I actually went to to a church for the first time today because it has an act against trafficking small group and that is what drew me to them!
    I have heard about nefarious from a friend of mine who's a youth worker and was sent it to review and she's sending me a copy to watch. It's absolutely awful that in society now we still have people living in slavery and under human trafficking we all need to do what we can for those who are trapped in this life.
    Thankyou for writing this post and bringing awareness to a subject that's a lot bigger than most people realise.
    x

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  19. Great post! I'm sharing it on my facebook page!

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