My Journey of Discovery

I can be somewhat naive.

Up until around maybe 4-5 years ago I believe slavery was actually abolished.  I mean, really, in our current, modern world, how could ANY human being buy or sell another human being?!  That was long in our past, right?!

I remember being in school learning about slavery in America.  I remember how it broke my heart.  How I just couldn’t wrap my head around how one person could look at another person and see them as PROPERTY!  They looked just the same, except for skin color, they had 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, they walked on 2 legs, hugged with 2 arms, showed teeth when they smiled….HOW could slavery POSSIBLY be true???

But it was.  It’s a disgusting, devastating, unfathomable part of our country’s history.

But it ended.  Right?

Then I learned about the caste system in India.  The hopelessness of those who are born into their caste, never to move “up” in their world.  To be used and abused.  To be seen as NOT HUMAN.  HOW???

Heartbreaking!  Unbelievable!  But it’s in India…..far from me.  What could I possibly do to change it?  It hurts my heart, it SHOULDN’T be happening, but it is.  And there’s nothing I can do.

Then I learned about human trafficking through International Justice Mission.  I learned about more atrocities being committed from one HUMAN to another HUMAN.  The slavery that exists through forcing people to work for little or no money, hours and hours and hours on end.  Forcing children to work in dangerous jobs, taking them from their families to pay debts, robbing them of ANY form of childhood.

Then came the discovery of child sex trafficking.  That children…6, 8, 10, 12 years old….are being kidnapped, bought, sold, raped and tortured.  Brothels are full of children being forced to have sex with 12 or more men per day.  Men are allowed to do whatever they desire to these young girls AND boys as long as they have the money to pay for them.

But this happened FAR AWAY.  This was happening in other countries, far from me.  There wasn’t much I could do.  I donated to IJM…because I DID want to do SOMETHING to help these precious children.  To show them THIS is not the life they are to lead.

But I could keep it at arms length.  I could donate some money, sign an online petition, but try to not let it into my heart too much because it just hurt too bad.

But then came another discovery.  CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IS HAPPENING RIGHT IN OUR OWN COUNTRY.  RIGHT IN MY OWN STATE!  IN MY OWN CITY!!

I learned about Exploit No More.  I attended informational sessions about why ENM existed and just what is going on in our Milwaukee area.  The girls who are getting kidnapped, lured, lied to, tortured, raped every hour of the day, drugged, and moved around so that no one can find them.  The girls who don’t believe there is any way out of this lifestyle because they’ve been beaten down physically, but also emotionally and mentally.  They forget about a life outside of their current lifestyle.

I could try to give you statistics about how many girls in our country, in my state, in my city are being trafficked, but those statistics are no where near accurate.  They can’t count the number because no one will talk.  These girls can’t tell anyone they’re doing this against their will.  The pimps aren’t going to tell anyone how many girls he has.

But, really, should the statistics matter?  

What if it were 1 million girls in Milwaukee?  What if it were 100,000?  What if it were 10?  What if it was just 1?

What number is “worth it”?

In my opinion, if JUST ONE girl is being forced to have sex, is being tortured, is being robbed of her childhood, being told she is nothing but a piece of property and having her humanity stripped away, that that is enough!  That is ONE TOO MANY!

But, sadly, the statistics are much higher than 1.  There are so many CHILDREN who can’t speak for themselves.  Who can’t call out for help.

Their mouths may not be able to yell for help.  But their hearts are.  And God hears their cries.

I want to ask you to TAKE ACTION.

PLEASE, for the sake of those children who’s innocence has been destroyed, will you please do something?

• Check out Exploit No More.  Learn more about what is happening right in our own city.  Educate yourself.  It’s hard to learn the truth.  It hurts.  But think about how much more painful it is to be IN those situations.
• Donate.  You may not think your $5 or $20 can make a difference, but it can.  Even better, if you can make a monthly donation that will help with budgeting.  We are working hard to raise funds to purchase a home to rehab into an aftercare facility.  To show these children that there IS hope, to help them out of their “slavery” lifestyle, to teach them life skills, to help them heal and have a life after being trafficked.
• Spread the word.  Are you a part of a church, business, organization who has not yet partnered with Exploit No More?  Please do so.  Contact ENM.  Learn more and partner.  We can form an army of angels to give these girls HOPE.
• Join the fight!  You don’t have to be part of a partnering church, or even live in Wisconsin!  You can donate, you can educate, you can pray.  But, please, do SOMETHING.

***This whole post is written only by me.  Exploit No More did not ask me to write this or edit or approve this post.  This is just my opinion.