How Could a Mother Sell Her Daughter?
One of the most baffling facts about human trafficking is that sometimes families knowingly sell their children into brothels or other forms of trafficking. It invites the unanswerable question: How could they? A recent article on CNN, examines several situations where mothers in Cambodia sold their daughters. The key culprit in answer to How could they?, according to the article and many other similar stories, is poverty—deep, desperate, $2-a-day poverty. Even still it seems impossible. Another part of the answer is the culture and political climate of the country. It affects those in poverty because there are few, if any,Read more
Everyday Abolitionist and Ethical Fashionista: Emily Gross
Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear about someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking. This time we’re sharing at story from Hagar about Emily Gross who sews kids’ clothes to help fight human trafficking—the height of ethical fashion! Read about more Everyday Abolitionists. Most afternoons, Emily Gross, of Kennesaw, Georgia, combats human trafficking with her sewing machine. Two years ago, she started taking online orders for children’s clothing. While her own children nap from 2:00 to 4:00pm, Emily sews. Each month, she donates 100% of the profits from her cottage industry,Read more
Considering End of Year Giving?
As holiday shopping draws to a close, you may be considering making end of year donations. Here are some organizations that have an impact on human trafficking, ethical fashion, and empowering women: Hagar International is a Christian organization that is committed to individualized, long-term assistance, using the social enterprise model as a tool for social rehabilitation and economic empowerment. Hagar works with women and children from backgrounds of violence, abuse and trafficking and supports them in their recovery, rehabilitation, job readiness and community reintegration. International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexualRead more
Much to Be Thankful For
There’s lots to be thankful for this time of year. From food to family to finances, most of us have quite a few things going for us. But just like looking past myself in hard times helps me broaden my perspective, being thankful for things beyond my own life enriches this thankful time of year. So here are a few organizations and people doing good around the world that I am very thankful for. They are changing lives in ways that I never could even imagine. They’re empowering women and fighting human trafficking in very real, very powerful ways. IJMRead more
Why Aftercare Is Vital
Rescue is an unspeakably critical turning point for victims of human trafficking; but aftercare is what turns a victim into a survivor. It helps women heal from the physical and emotion trauma they’ve faced, and it gives them a marketable skill they can use to provide for themselves and their families. As healed, capable women they develop an enduring sense of dignity and pride. This combination of education and self-worth is the best defense against being trafficked again. And, as the icing on the cake, these women create beautiful jewelry, clothing, and accessories—Stop Traffick Fashion exists because of successful aftercare.Read more
Survivor Stories from Hagar
If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of human trafficking rescue stories. In the face of oppression and despair, tales of hope are a fix I just can’t satisfy. Though stories often run together, I want more. More freedom. More rescue. More unthinkable courage and healing. If that sounds like you, too, here’s a new video from Hagar. Below that is a survivor story from their site. Hien’s Story Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference. Hien* came to Hagar broken and neglected. Years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse from her family made her feelRead more
Stop Traffick Fashion Presents RESTORE
Stop Traffick Fashion is proud to present RESTORE: A Benefit for Survivors of Modern Slavery on Saturday, September 24th at Bromwell’s Gallery in downtown Cincinnati. The event will be an evening of fashion, music and art to raise funds for Hagar International. RESTORE will feature music by Robbie Reider, Ryan Adcock, Ashley Peacock, Brad Martin, Kristen Budde, and Laura Hellebusch and art by Collin Rowland, Scott Fairchild, Evan Hildebrandt, Alison Shepard, and Dan Augur. Tickets are $10 at the door, 100% of which will go to Hagar. Proceeds from raffle prizes, 20% of selected arts sales, and 20% of all StopRead more