What she told me, her words, alerted me that the house was about to burn down around me. I immediately took in all that was happening in that moment and knew I must escape. I shut down into silence that has lasted for years. I didn't know how to break the silence, even after I was free. I will not claim to be a hero. I only found my own freedom or the courage to write this after watching Malala, the girl that would not be silent- I realized I can speak. I will be starting a mission that I am just beginning to learn about. I will be selling my art to raise funds for a scholarship opportunity for human trafficking survivors. It was education that led to my ultimate escape. A friend of mine recently witnessed human trafficking, keep this handy- national hotline
(888.373.7888) for reporting human trafficking. The signs to look for are on this website link-http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/recognizing-the-signs
27 million men, women, and childen are enslaved worldwide and only 40,000 enslaved people were identified in the past year according to a June 2013 report from the State Department. This is a link to the comprehensive report- http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/210737.pdf
It is my belief that we all have a role to fill in breaking the silence and ending modern day slavery.
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