What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion on an innocent human to receive labor or sexual activity. The traffickers use a variety of tactics to lure their victims and force them to be exploited. Some of the most common examples of human trafficking are those being forced into sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, forced marriage, child soldiers, labor exploitation, forced criminality, and organ harvesting.
The victims of human trafficking are usually the most vulnerable members of the population, and often have no one to help them, advocate for them, or pray for them.
Sister Story: Standing Up To Human Trafficking
Sister Abby Avelino established a branch of the Talitha Kum network in 2016, which is an international network of religious Sisters against trafficking. It works to combat trafficking, liberate those who are enslaved in it, and assist human trafficking survivors in the struggle to bring their lives back to wholeness. Today, Sister Abby is the International Coordinator of Talitha Kum and tells the story of one young woman named Pauline. “Pauline was a victim of sexual exploitation and abuse at the early age of 16. The exploiters threatened her life and her mother. With the help of Talitha Kum, she found a new life, to stand up. She became the founder of Rebirth of a Queen, a group that gives a safe space for survivors like her, to empower them to restore their lives from situations of death and despair. Her story manifests with these words: Talitha Kum! Stand Up!”
What is Maryknoll Sisters doing about Human Trafficking?
The Maryknoll Sisters have long been working to eliminate human trafficking and all other forms of discrimination and violence. We’re especially devoted to helping out vulnerable girls and women, who make up the largest population of human trafficking victims.
Our Sisters have made eliminating human trafficking a key mission by:
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- Standing up and running a crisis center.
- Creating not only a training institution with many classes and educational programs.
- Providing shelter for women and children who have had their lives affected by human trafficking
- Educating the general public to notice signs of human trafficking.
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Several of our Sisters on Mission in developing countries are working to stop human trafficking, and to help the victims who have had their lives destroyed by it.
Make A Difference
“Creating options together brings hope, and hope heralds the coming of the reign of God.”
Sister Story: Know the Signs of Human Traffickers
Sister Doreen Longres, M.M. has been serving in Peru for over 50 years. She is part of a network that educates people about the tricks and tactics used by human traffickers. In order to limit human trafficking, people need to be able to recognize the signs traffickers use to force someone to obey them.
Human trafficking behaviors can go completely unnoticed, so Sister Doreen gives talks about how women and children get caught. She teaches people to recognize the signs, such as offering gifts like a phone, better shoes, or clothing, which the traffickers then use against the victims to control them.
By educating people on tactics of traffickers, she helps limit the chance a woman or child will get caught up in a human trafficking operation.
How You Can Help
With your financial support, the Maryknoll Sisters will be able to do the following:
- Provide Vocational Training to give these victims a new life.
- Provide social, medical and psychological support to victims of human trafficking.
- Give food supplements to the victim and their families
- Purchase school supplies and uniform for women to use during vocational training and beyond.
- Continue the efforts to educate about the tactics traffickers use.
Pray With Us
A Prayer for those affected by Human Trafficking
Through prayer, we not only reflect on the experiences of those that have suffered through this disrespect to human dignity, but also to comfort, strengthen, and help empower survivors.
“O God, when we hear of children and adults deceived and taken to unknown places for purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor, and organ “harvesting” our hearts are saddened and our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are ignored through threats, lies, and force.
We cry out against the evil practice of this modern slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.
Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and stand with those whose bodies, hearts, and spirits have been so wounded, so that together we may make real your promises to fill these sisters and brothers with a love that is tender and good.
Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be converted from this wickedness, and help us all to claim the freedom that is your gift to your children, Amen.”
