My friend sent me this story via email awhile back. It’s from one an individual that he used to work with in Nepal. I asked him if I could change some of the confidential information (names and locations) and share it with you. He said it was cool.

It’s a great story of one Nepalese man’s journey into the brothels of Delhi and Mumbai.

I’m warning you, this is REALLY long but well worth the read. I’m not going to break it up with pictures, and a Nepalese man wrote it, so it’s not the best writing.

– Matthew Snyder
Founder, 3N1 MEN

Mumbai, India. Photo by Matthew Snyder

We have heard so many stories about brothels and we think so many negative things about those girls and we call them prostitutes. We accuse them over and over for their lifestyle. When I, myself, tried to think more deeply about them, then more and more my heart broke and I came to a strong realization: that they need God more than anything. Only He can heal their hearts and give them new hope. I strongly believe that God loves them greatly and He has a different and better plan for their lives.

This year the Lord provided me another chance to visit the brothels of Delhi and Mumbai. I do not know why He is giving me more opportunities to visit them, but after a second visit I still strongly believe that they need Jesus more than anything in this world. I want to give a literal account of our trip to Mumbai and Delhi. I believe the Lord will speak to you when you start reading these real incidents. Forgive me, [for] I am trying to record the information of our travels rather than presenting my writing skills here.

*Mary (a ministry director in Nepal) and I flew to Delhi on the 28^th of October, 2011. As I said before, this was my second visit to Mumbai; however, we also planned to visit Delhi and to witness the brothels there. We reached Delhi at about 4:30pm and went directly to a meeting where we heard heart-breaking data and stories. We decided to visit the GB Road in Delhi, the place where Nepali girls are known to be in prostitution.

The next day, the 29th of October *Pastor Thomas, a local Nepali Church pastor, his wife *Rebekah, myself and Mary went to see the GB Road area. We traveled on the Metro Rail and then took a rickshaw from the Metro station. Pastor Thomas asked the driver about the GB Road area and he immediately started to [speak] out so many things from his mouth like a volcano. He told us many bad things about the girls in prostitution and he accused Nepali men of selling their own sisters here. It seemed that all Nepali males are evil in his opinion. Finally, we arrived and we left the rickshaw.

We started walking down the street and saw nothing in the beginning. Then Mary pointed out to us the second floor staircase of a nearby house. We raised our heads to look and Pastor Thomas and I were amazed and felt shame that several Nepali girls were giving signals to us from behind their own bars that covered [their] windows. They were appealing us to come as their customers. We did not know what to do at first, so we turned our heads aside. We turned around to walk back and saw many more Nepali girls behind iron bars waiving their hands or sending flying kisses to attract customers. Some were giving signals indicating one hundred or two hundred rupees for a visit. It was a totally new experience for Pastor Thomas and his wife as it was their first time seeing brothels.

When we had gone a little farther [down the road], Mary suddenly said to us, “I want to go inside. God is telling me to go inside.”

We were surprised. We did not know what to do as this place was unfamiliar to us and we did not know anyone. She proceeded to ask Rebekah, “Will you come with me or not?”

Suddenly they vanished inside the brothels.

We were anxiously waiting for them in the street for an hour and we heard nothing from them. Pastor Thomas tried to call his wife on her cell phone but it was in vain. We tried to watch carefully to see if they were coming back, but then we received same invitations to come in as customers. We ignored the offers many times and sometimes we turned our heads.

After one hour Pastor Thomas got a call from his wife [saying], “We are having lunch! Wait for us.”

We were relieved to hear from them because we had been left waiting, tortured by worry, hunger, dust, gas, the heat of the sun, and crowds of people and vehicles.

After the call, we went to the other side of the road and walked around to find something to eat. Many girls continued calling to us saying, “Just 50 rupees for one time!”

The situation was really heartbreaking.

It was about 2:00pm when Mary and Rebekah finally came out. They looked as if they had won a big war. Mary said, “The Lord did a great work.”

Rebekah told us in surprise, “I saw a different world.”

We were eager to hear more and I asked, “Please tell us more!”

She started to speak, “When we entered the brothel, Mary caught a girl’s hand and said, ‘You are God’s daughter. I want to talk with you.’ Soon about 15 Nepali girls gathered around and Mary started to tell them about Jesus. Many of the girls shared their stories and explained why they were there, by their free will.

“Many were previously trafficked to Dubai or other cities as ‘domestic workers’ and were forced into prostitution. When they were returned to Nepal, they felt their life was ruined and with the pressure of society’s stigma they decided to continue the only work they knew. Some returned to Nepal because they were rescued by NGOs, but due to poor conditions and improper care, the women chose to leave and work in Delhi.

“While we were talking with them, they offered us lunch and we accepted it to show our love and care. I never imagined that this kind of world exists. Because they felt ashamed, they did not want Nepali brothers to see them in that situation, so we could not call you right away!”

The girls shared that this is the first time any Nepali has come into the brothels in Delhi to share the gospel. We feel it is wonderful that the Lord opened the door for us to share his love and we realized that the God of Hosts is saying, “Let my daughters go!”

Later that day, we flew to Mumbai and reached a ministry center by 4:00am Sunday morning. At 10:00am we met with *Peter and Joan Richards as scheduled. They are Nepali missionaries serving in the brothel areas of Mumbai.

Peter asked me to speak in a church service that is held inside one of the brothels. I have spoken several places on different subjects, but this time I was unsure what I should share.

We traveled with them for two hours by train and taxi to reach the south part of Kurla. Kurla is one of the large brothel areas in Mumbai. We saw many Nepali girls there wearing different styles and fashions to attract customers. Their situation was terrible and weighed heavily on me, but there was nothing I could do at the time. I just kept following Peter.

Fellowship had already started when we reached the service right inside the brothels. I was amazed to see their worship. They were worshiping in the spirit and crying to God to deliver them from there. I started to ask the Lord for guidance on what to share with those 35 women and 15 children, [and] the Lord helped me to share about His healing and love for desperate people from Isaiah 53.

After the church service, many asked us to pray for them. Some told [us] that they had been brothel owners to feed themselves. Others shared their life story.

I met a Nepali brother who said his wife runs a business. However, later Peter told me that in reality, this man’s wife sells her body to customers in order to provide food for her husband and their one son. They do not know who that son’s father really is. Joan added, “When they three are talking, a customer comes and she has to leave her husband and son to satisfy the customer. Her husband feels indifferent.”

I was reminded of my own wife and children back home. Our family is really committed to the idea of one wife and one husband for life. At the time, I felt that people are in darkness and the dark has blinded their eyes.

While we were there, I also got a chance to talk to a lady who was sold into prostitution in Kathmandu by her relatives. She was later drugged by the same relatives and brought to Mumbai. Whe
n she woke up, she found herself sold again. When first customer came, she tried to reject giving him her body even though she had been forced to give her body before in Kathmandu. She did not want to give her body to any Indian man.

Her cheek was wet with tears as she continued, “Criminals tied my legs and hands to a pillar and then raped me!” Her story was too hard to hear. I said, “Please stop didi [sister]!” Mary hugged her and we both prayed for her.

She said, “I feel like I am with family!”

I was broken to see the same ladies who were in the church service preparing and waiting for more customers as I left. James told me, “This is the hardest part of being here!”

While traveling back to the ministry site, we visited Kamathipura. Mary said, “This used to be one of the biggest brothel areas in Mumbai while I served here in 2000. At that time three brothel owners became Christians, closed their businesses, and freed their girls.”

James added, “Now this place is closing down altogether because a company is building a large mall here. We feel it is the direct result of our prayers. We praise the Lord for this great work!”

My heart was heavy when I returned to the ministry site. Despite little rest in our travels, that night I could not sleep until 2:00am. I did not pray or read much of the Bible but I just kept seeing my daughter’s face in many of the small girls whom I had met in the church service.

I was much troubled the next day as well when we went to another brothel area to speak in another church service. The oppressive feeling left me after I met with *Pastor Green, the director of [another local ministry]. I really felt the Lord is in this work.

One thing he said stuck with me, “Only Jesus can free people from everything. Police raids do not help as much as we think, but sharing the gospel and praying for them does far more!”

Exodus 3:7-9: The LORD said,

“I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey… And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

*names have been changed to protect identities and to keep these people from entering harms way

You can learn more about Princess Night by clicking here. But onward to my experience…

Creative Commons | YIM Hafiz

“If a pimp starts approaching our group of girls, I want you to cut him off and talk to him. Whatever you do, don’t show any fear. Just talk to him. And if he asks you what you’re doing there, just tell him you’re inviting his girls to get off the street; then ask him if he wants ‘out’, too.”

Quite honestly, we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. Princess Night was several years old and had developed a coveted reputation on the wide narrows of Fulton Industrial Boulevard. Armed with roses and cards stained with truth, volunteers would rush out of the van and surround girls who were prostituting themselves (oftentimes forced) with a barrier of love, creating a wall of protection from the cruelty of the world around them so that – even for one minute – they might experience the blessing of peace.

As we were driving farther away from the glow of Atlanta’s city lights, I wondered where we could possible be traveling. I was under the impression that the bulk of trafficking occurred inside of the city, but as we pulled off of I-20 and onto the boulevard, I began to recognize the crippled exterior of the darkness we were in.

The buildings groaned with abuse and buzzed with the familiar glow of neon I saw on the streets of Thailand. You could almost see the darkness swallow the frailty of light that beamed off the headlights that grazed the walls of those prisons. Pimps patrolled the streets from the shadows, much like they did in India, and strip clubs and hotels boasted with the customary shame of a maimed beauty.

I would lie if I said that I wasn’t overwhelmed. This was happening in my own backyard. I thought that America had perfected the art of cover-up, of masking scars with make-up and broken hearts with a smile on Sunday mornings. What happened? Why was this so… not discrete?

We drove around for about an hour, frequently stopping for the girls to bombard women with Heaven’s love while the men scanned the darkness for threats. Numerous women were crowned as royalty with roses and prayer on that Friday night, but what happened next was nothing short of beautiful.

What do you do when a very large, 47-year-old man, who you might mistake for a pimp, approaches you in a pool of tears?

Yeah. That’s what happened.

Stanley needed help. With suitcase in hand and sorrow in tow, he was begging for us to give him a ride to his mother’s house. His wife was in prison and his current girlfriend, who was pregnant with his twins, threw him out. He knew that the “church people” would help… even in the midst of brokenness. He just wanted to go home.

The thing that stood out to me most about Stanley wasn’t that he was a man clothed in too much sorrow; it wasn’t that he could crush every last one of us with his fist; and it wasn’t that I had unconsciously labeled him “perverted” because we picked him up outside of a strip club.

What stood out to me most was that he smelled like he had bathed in cologne. And it was somewhat pleasant (although excessive).

As we were driving him home, I said to him, “You might be broken, but you sure do smell nice!” Stanley snickered a little bit and said, “Well, man, I had to put it on heavy. I couldn’t go home to my mom… smelling like alcohol…” his voice trailing off in defeat.

It sobered me up thinking about the number of times that I had intentionally tried to cover up my mistakes, my wrongs, and my scars. It made me think about how often I try to ‘make up’ for my faults because I want to prove to the world that I deserve a second, third, or fifteenth chance.

But grace doesn’t work that way. When applied liberally, grace transforms. It does more than cover-up; it washes us clean. It makes us into something new.

We may have honored the royalty embedded in the hearts of a dozen prostituted women that night, but we also crowned a grown man as a prince. We battered the lies in his life defenseless with an onslaught of truth, with the redeeming power of grace.

… so that he might become [something more].

The wonderful thing about experiencing grace is that it opens up your eyes to see things that you couldn’t see before; it enables and empowers you to unearth and unleash its transformational power into the world around you.

So as I write this nestled [safely] in the corner of a coffee shop between the buildings that create Atlanta’s skyline, I dream of grace. I envision a city whose streets pulsate with the beauty of what grace is fully expressed, a city whose people crown the broken as royalty.

If you want to volunteer with Princess Night, visit their website to learn more. Want to find an organization in your area? Visit our Online Human Trafficking Resource.

Photo via Creative Commons | isafmedia

I can’t wrap my head around the mentality of a ‘john’, someone who pays money for sex to profit a third party. I don’t understand how thousands of men in the free world can abandon the vows that they’ve made to their wives and the commitment that they’ve made to their children to turn around and consciously rape an innocent woman or child.

What would drive a man to such actions?

I suppose I could shift blame. I could point fingers at Hell, media, culture, and exterior, yet subtle influences that hound and attract us every day. But that would remove any form of responsibility from the man. It excuses the man from being a real man in the first place.

What would happen if a tribe of men made a commitment to hold one another accountable, that no matter their past mistakes, they would hold fast to a commitment to only THINK and ACT in a way that promotes and honors women?

What would happen if a tribe of men committed to wrestle down their character, to become principle-centered, to grow themselves, and initiate positive change in the environments where they have influence?

What would happen if this small tribe of men did this and other men noticed?
What would happen if the men that noticed wanted to accept the same challenge? And what if a growing generation of boys modeled the example that its predecessors set?

What would happen to the world?

I think everything would slowly and steadily change. The number of girls sexually abused before 18 would go from 1 in 4, to 0 in 3 trillion. The number of girls raped on the streets of Atlanta every night would shift from 100 to 0. And the number of men paying for sex each month [in Georgia] would drop from 12,400 to 0.

But it begins with men making a commitment to change.

As a man, a husband, a brother, a son, and a growing young leader, I believe that there are no other options. If you want to steward a legacy and a future for generations before, around, and after you – one free from human slavery – the only way to do that is by initiating changes on the inside of you.

One of the commitments we want to make at 3N1 MEN is to provide guys with some articles and “nudges” in the LIFE direction (notice – life, not right – more on that later). In the next few weeks, we’re going to begin introducing these articles for guys geared specifically towards that end. Topics will include: accountability, faith, leadership, character, and more.

Keep your eyes peeled! And if you have any questions or want to contribute, feel free to shoot me an email at info@3n1men.org

Blessings,

Matthew Snyder

Photo via Creative Commons, benketaro

I contribute daily to slavery.

I was recently wondering whether I contribute to slavery or not. Internally, I fought it but pretty much already knew the answer. Yes, I do contribute to slavery. I then began to wonder how much.

I had heard about a site called Slavery Footprint, an Oakland, CA based non-profit that calculates “How many slaves work for you?” I clicked through the site and answered the 11 questions, which then calculated that 47 slaves work for me. The site then broke down my contributions into different categories such as clothing, home, medicine, etc. It also broke down by country who and what is affected by my contributions: who is exploited, what products are made, what kind of slavery is taking place. Although I had 47 slaves listed as working for me, I’ll be honest, I probably didn’t list anywhere near everything I own or every product I use that contributes to slavery.

Let me be a bit more specific regarding my results…the category that gave me the most slavery points was clothing. For anyone who knows me, I own at least three maybe four closets worth of clothing. I started to wonder, over time, how many people have I affected by collecting all of these clothes? For example, in the textile industry alone, women are daily exploited and forced into slave labor in countries such as India and Zambia. This got me thinking about all of the other exploitations that happen/ have happened to make the rest of the products I use and own.

Now what?

Well, now that I am aware of at least some of my slavery contributions (emphasis placed on some), how can I prevent or at least limit them going forward? I can make it a point to shop at places that carry slave free or fair trade products such as Whole Foods or Target. Fair trade basically means that workers are justly compensated for the products they produce. I can also check that the labels I buy actually state products are slave free or fair trade. I can shop on sites such as Fair Trade USA, which sell products that are ethically sourced and can also reference sites such as Free2Work that list how much individual brands actually address slavery while giving the brands grades based on their work in addressing the issue.

Did I just contribute even more while writing this?

And of course, as I close this article I have just come to another realization: I am drinking Starbucks hot chocolate and am now wondering… did I just contribute even more to slavery?

After researching, I found there is a slight chance my chocolate was made by exploitative labor as Starbucks is still working on its efforts to carry 100% “ethically purchased and responsibly produced products.” The company has primarily focused its efforts on coffee, which is currently 93% ethically sourced; but Starbucks is still ramping up its endeavors to provide ethically sourced chocolate.

I also found that globally, chocolate has some of the highest slave content attached to it. The product is so controversial that I could write an entire article on just chocolate alone. Just more to be aware of…

How do YOU daily contribute to slavery?

*Slavery Footprint, Fair Trade USA, and Free2Work all have smart phone apps to easily check while on the go whether brands and products are slave free.

Photo via Creative Commons | Wayne Miller, Photographer

When I think about human trafficking I don’t consider the statistics, I think about the stories of those who have survived their victimization. I remind myself that every day, all over the world, more people are being drawn or forced into this web of exploitation and abuse.

The more stories I hear the more I realize that the perpetrators of human trafficking can be just as much a victim as those being trafficked.

Sometimes traffickers are the victims in a very literal sense. Some trafficked children grow up into adults who then traffic others. Such cyclical behaviors occur in many different cases of mistreatment.  Trafficking is just another form of abuse.

If a child is being trafficked or is raised around those who are trafficking, then that situation may become his idea of normal. The sum of human relationships is reduced to someone being taken advantage of and someone doing the taking. He may believe this is how all human relationships should operate.

If a child believes that is how the world works, his actions will be determined by that.

But not every trafficker begins that way. Some traffickers weren’t victimized or raised around such activity. Some traffickers are sociopaths. Others by their greed have cut their humanity away and separated themselves from healthy relationships.

The root of human trafficking is when a human being is reduced into a commodity. It begins by putting a limit on another person’s humanity. Traffickers don’t simply do this to their victims, they do it to themselves.

Human trafficking robs the humanity of everyone involved.

But just as an exploited person can get back their freedom and regain their sense of personhood so too can a trafficker. Sadly changing a person’s paradigm isn’t something that can be described in steps, nor is it something that can be forced upon an individual.

The only persons’ paradigm we’re responsible for is our own. Human abolition begins with a healthy respect for humanity. Traffickers are still a part of that fold.

It’s natural to yearn for vengeance and punishment for the crimes that a person commits. But I would also ask you to consider reconciliation for that person. I am not ignoring the evil they’ve done. We should all be held accountable for our actions. Yet, if there is a way for a trafficker to find their humanity once more, to change the path they’ve been walking down, I would welcome him.

As you learn more I would encourage you to check out a previous article written by 3N1MEN’s very own Matt Snyder and the video attached. The video is about the journey a trafficker made from bondage to freedom.

Michelle Barrett is an aspiring author in Wichita, Kansas.  She is delving deeper into human abolition advocacy while balancing work, life, a love of fiction, video games, and a loving husband.

 

 

Photo via Creative Commons, M. Khatib

Every Monday night during my early years of college I would meet with a group of friends at a local coffee shop. There we would talk about life and everything it contained. We philosophized, joked and supported one another. While we shared some similarities, we were more able to learn from our differences.

This group of friends was my first real taste of community.

Over the years my community has changed. I’m less in touch with some friends, I’ve started new friendships, and life is as varied and unpredictable as ever. But I still have a network of friends on whom I can rely.

Without these friends I wouldn’t be the person I want to be.

Fighting trafficking at times requires making difficult decisions. You might choose to not purchase a particular product, to not invest in a certain store, or to stop watching porn. At times, you will need help in order to follow through with some of your decisions.

As you continue to fight human trafficking, I challenge you to develop a community. Surround yourself with people who will edify you, strengthen you in your weaknesses, and provide you with accountability.

Community can happen spontaneously, but usually it comes about through being intentional. You must intentionally meet with people who you can trust and who will best influence you. To do so you may need to intentionally manage your schedule to allow for such time. If you need help in the area of accountability you should intentionally connect with a peer or mentor on a regular basis.

Meeting people with similar passions and struggles can also encourage you. You might start helping out with local human trafficking abolition organizations or charities. You can use 3N1Men’s resources to be connected to a mentor. Attending conferences is another good way to connect with people you might not have met otherwise.

As you develop your community I would also like to remind you of this truth: a community is a group of people who rely on one another. If one individual relies on the rest without offering similar support, then that community is weakened.

Sharing your life with people can be messy and unpredictable. Human trafficking abolition is about respecting human life. Community is a little practice for the larger battles.

Michelle Barrett is an aspiring author in Wichita, Kansas.  She is delving deeper into human abolition advocacy while balancing work, life, a love of fiction, video games, and a loving husband.

 

 

Photo via Creative Commons, Larry Gahn, US State Department

North Korea has been frequenting the news lately. With its current nuclear threats against the United States and South Korea, and a recent TED talk from North Korean refugee Hyeonseo Lee, most people have heard at least small bits about the country. But…what really goes on inside and sometimes outside of North Korea?

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North Korea, is officially considered a socialist republic but the country actually functions as a totalitarian state in which its people are (for lack of a better word) caged in.

Human rights do not really exist in the North and its citizens are treated as slaves from birth. The government tightly controls its people, leaving many of them starving and forced into prison camps, prostitution, and other forms of slavery.

Its people gaze over the Tumen River at China’s bright red lights, seeking a glimpse of hope and freedom from the dictatorship’s closed borders. For the few that do have a chance to escape, many won’t actually be free; and their journey, which usually leads them into China or South Korea, will send them into a different kind of slavery.

North Korea is bordered by China, a strip of Russia, and separated from South Korea by the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a zone that has divided North and South for the past 50 years. This buffer zone was a result of the Korean Armistice Agreement, a plan to rid of hostility between borders and end the Korean War. The war ended in 1953 but the hostility still remains. Last month, the armistice agreement was actually declared invalid by the North Korean army in response to the United Nations enforcing harsher sanctions on North Korea because of recent nuclear tests.

As refugees have a hard time escaping through South Korea because of this highly guarded demilitarized zone, the main route for refugees is through the Tumen River and into China. Many people do not make it across the sometimes frozen Tumen, and dead bodies are frequently seen floating down the river.

For the refugees that do make it out of North Korea alive, there is an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 who end up in China. Out of those refugees that reach China, a high percentage, estimated around 30,000-50,000 end up in some form of slavery, including about 10,000 of them forced into sex slavery. 

This is just a small snapshot of North Korea and the paths taken to reach “freedom.” To learn more about North Korean refugees and what they face during and post escape, check out the following TED talk featuring North Korean refugee Hyeonseo Lee as she tells the tale of her journey across borders.

Photo via Creative Commons, rachel_titiriga

Ashley stared up at the ceiling as she lay still and quiet among the covers. The stranger quickly slipped out of the bed. He zipped up his pants and left the room without looking at her.

Ashley could hear Jared’s voice from the other room, “How was it?”

Ashley ignored the rest of the conversation. She staggered out of bed, went to the restroom, and cleaned herself up.

She remembered the first time Jared suggested she sleep with another man. “It won’t mean anything. It’s just sex.”

 “You owe me.”

“I’ve done everything for you!”

He would have hit her. He would have hit her again and again until she said yes.

Jared cracked open the bathroom door without knocking. “Hey baby. You did great.”

“Thanks.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

Ashley’s story could end in a myriad of ways.

She could stay with Jared and psychologically escape using drugs and/or alcohol. Jared could then continue to use and abuse her. Then he probably would leave her broke, broken and vulnerable.

Ashley could choose to “trade up.” Due to her isolation, Ashley’s interaction with people is limited to Jared and his clients. Eventually she might gravitate toward one of the men Jared has allowed her to meet and leave Jared for him. She would essentially be trading one pimp for another.

Since Ashley is older than 18, she could be arrested for prostitution. If she were to receive a long-term prison sentence she might actually be able to escape Jared’s grasp. Jared would probably look for a newer and fresher source of income while she was away.

Murder is another option that would end Jared’s abuse. Or perhaps suicide would seem a better alternative to Ashley.

She could physically escape. Ashley could run back to family or friends and hopefully they would welcome her back. But she might be too afraid. She might believe that Jared would follow her, that he would further hurt her and the people she loves.

Or someone could have intervened. A friend or family member might have contacted the police in the early stages of Ashley’s and Jared’s relationship. Jared’s criminal record might have scared Ashley away. A neighbor could have overheard one of their many fights and reported it to the local authorities or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

Local organizations fighting human trafficking or sexual exploitation might have gone to the strip club where she worked, handed out fliers of information, and let her know someone out there cares.

If she were picked by the police, a case worker could have spoken to her and given her the names of organizations and safe houses that might also be able to help.

You can be that person who intervenes on Ashley’s behalf. You can be that friend, family member, or neighbor who recognizes the warning signs. You can work with organizations that inform and protect girls just like her.

You have the ability to change someone’s world.

The story of Ashley and Jared is a fictional account, but if you would like to learn more listen to the true life story of Theresa Flores.

Michelle Barrett is an aspiring author in Wichita, Kansas.  She is delving deeper into human abolition advocacy while balancing work, life, a love of fiction, video games, and a loving husband.

 

 

The report features:

1. Profiles on countries known to exploit boys
2. A brief explanation of how boys are psychologically impacted by exploitation
3. The findings of a case-study on Cambodian boys exploited for sex

You can download this report exclusively from 3N1 Men by clicking here

[Download the Report]

Caleb Loomis is an “incurable fanatic” who believes that exploiting the vulnerable is always wrong. He is dead set against slavey in every form, not precluding human trafficking and prostitution. He is studying International Politics and Policy at Patrick Henry College. Everyday he thanks God for his beautiful girlfriend, Alyssa.

 

*Thumbnail/Slider photo via Creative Commons, Jorge Royan | http://www.royan.com.ar

Photo via Creative Commons, r.nial.bradshaw

Ashley could still feel the sting in her cheek. The tears flowed down her face and speckled her shirt. She couldn’t look at him, but she knew she had to say it. The words came out in broken sobs.

 Ashley and Jared’s relationship had changed since she moved into his apartment. They stopped going out. Jared always wanted to know where she was at or who she was with. If she went to the store without telling him it would lead to an argument.

But the worst part about it was the job.

“I know your friend works there and you owe him. But I feel uncomfortable working at a strip club. It’s dirty. And the men there just….  It’s not a good place.”

Ashley didn’t want to make Jared jealous by telling him how they proposition her for sex.

Jared listened as he held her. “But where else can someone just out of high school make that kind of money? I bust my ass at work for you and you don’t even want to help out?”

Ashley nodded her head. The tears finally stopped falling. “I know…”

“And I’m sorry I got so upset. I hate myself for…” he touched the cheek he had hit moments before,” for this. You just made me so angry, like you don’t even get it.”

Jared gently took Ashley’s face in his hands. “You know I love you, right?”

She smiled. “Yep, I love you, too.”

Ashley and Jared’s relationship had progressed to Jared reinforcing his will through violence. Subtly developing in a relationship, abuse is difficult to identify until manifesting physically.

Traffickers, as well as abusers, will have groomed a person in such a way so that their victim blames herself for the abuse. Jared blames Ashley for hitting her and strangely enough, Ashley agrees with him.  She believes she did something to deserve the violence.

Abusers will exploit a person’s insecurities so that when physical abuse enters the relationship, the victim justifies the abuse.

While not every abusive relationship is an instance of trafficking, both situations stem from a lack of regard for other people. Both can be stopped through education, advocacy and the willingness to act.

If you need to report an instance of domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

Michelle Barrett is an aspiring author in Wichita, Kansas.  She is delving deeper into human abolition advocacy while balancing work, life, a love of fiction, video games, and a loving husband.