May 2011 | Love146.org

26
May

What does "Prevention" do? Posted by Gaz Kishere

It is a harsh reality of counter trafficking that prevention work is underfunded globally. Education lacks the emotive pull of more obvious intervention such as the rescue and restoration of young people trapped in commercial exploitation. It is said that prevention work is difficult to measure. How do you know that it works? This is one of the reasons we have an external research body monitoring the impact of Escape Magazine on schools with children who are the most at risk of trafficking.

Causes need to evidence themselves somewhere, it is just the way that things are. For us at Love146 we have always said that we are not actually about causes and issues, we are very much about people. Indeed, we are about that one person because that is where the rubber meets the road. It is of great importance for us when we know that just one person has been impacted and it is important that prevention can also be viewed in terms of the intervention it is making. Prevention continues to be the much needed fence at the top of the cliff stopping the next generation from falling off into the abyss which is commercial child exploitation.

Below is a letter received at the Escape office in Moldova in eastern Europe. The personal details have been changed to protect identity.

My name is Anna, and I am studying in 9th grade. I live only with my father but our relationship is very strained because of his frequent drunken feasts that are happening right here at home. I was compelled to hide away all my stuff, because otherwise he just sells it. Once, he came to me with a tempting offer - to travel abroad for work so I can earn some money and start my own life, he said. To work there it was not needed to know the language or job skills. I was close to agreeing to that. A week after his proposal, Natalia came to our school from a visiting team. She told us about the phenomenon of human trafficking and the dangers that beset young girls abroad. After a lecture she gifted us with nice Escape magazines. After reading Escape and hearing the advice of Natalia, I realized that my father’s proposal was a real trap. He continued to insist and even found people who could pay for everything. But I refused to go abroad. And I think this was the smartest decision in my life.

It is still difficult to live.

But I’m free.

Anna, 16 years old, High-school, Moldova

09
May

Defying Gravity Posted by Rob Morris

In 2002 during the UN General Assembly’s Special Session on Children, two young delegates representing the children of the world made the following statement; “We are children whose voices are not being heard: it is time we are taken into account.”

For a number of reasons, children who are the victims of trafficking and exploitation are often unseen and unheard. And those who survive can slip through the cracks of flawed systems of victim services.

Recently, passionate advocates for Love146 gathered together top stars and dancers from the stages of London’s West End musicals (including Wicked, Mama Mia!, Grease, We Will Rock You, Love Never Dies, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Wizard of Oz, Dirty Dancing and the English National Ballet) to participate in a “flash mob” in Trafalgar Square in London to support the work of Love146. Led by Rachel Tucker, star of “Wicked,” the singers and dancers performed to a specially arranged version of Annie Lennox’s song, “Little Bird.” Their desire was to bring attention to the reality of these children who go unseen and unnoticed.

Rachel, who plays the lead role of Elphaba,(the Wicked Witch of the West) in Wicked said: “All of us are shocked to hear the terrible fate of children even in our home towns and cities. This is our way of trying to raise awareness, and getting people behind Love146’s campaign to make a real difference…"

While watching the flash mob, the words of “Little Bird” struck me:

“I walk along the city streets, so dark with rage and fear; And I wish that I could be that bird and fly away from here. I wish I had the wings to fly away from here.”

I was reminded of a scene in the movie Forrest Gump that shreds me every time I see it. When young Forrest and little Jenny are running to get away from Jenny’s abusive father, they hide out in a field and Jenny desperately prays; “Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far, far away from here.” I wonder how many exploited children pray that prayer every day?

Our goal here at Love146 is to not only call attention to the horrors of child trafficking and exploitation, but to stop it from happening. We are accomplishing that through our prevention efforts. In addition, we are working to restore life again to survivors. We see children getting their wings back. Wings that were once broken are being made strong again.

We celebrate when children, who, like the alienated and marginalized Elphaba in Wicked, can sing;

“To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity…
And you can't pull me down!”

Thanks for helping children fly again!

Rob

President & Co-Founder Love146
Follow me on Twitter HERE

07
May

A Common Thread Posted by Rob Morris

"The mommies in the Love146 Round Home are just like real mothers, it’s like being in a real home, so my life is actually complete." -Survivor

A common thread we often see in children who are survivors of child trafficking and exploitation is that they long for home. They especially ache to see their mothers again. In the Love146 Round Home, one of our goals is to eventually reintegrate a child back into their family or community, as long as their family or community was not involved in them being trafficked.

For children who have come from loving and safe families, we slowly begin to facilitate visits home during the long process of recovery in the Love146 Round Home. These homecomings are beautiful, heartbreaking, and restorative.

However, if the community, neighbors, extended family, etc. still present a risk to the child, visits home may not be possible. In those cases we have at times been able to facilitate visits to the Round Home for mothers and grandmothers.

Judy is one girl whose mother visited the Round Home recently. In addition to being a survivor of child trafficking and exploitation, Judy is deaf and mute. The thought that predators preyed upon not only the vulnerability of a child, but a child who could not physically cry out for help or tell anyone what had happened, is beyond my comprehension.

While visiting together in the Round Home, Judy and her Mom spent the time walking the grounds together holding hands, laughing and sharing stories. Her mother went to school with her and was able to meet with her teachers. She was overjoyed to see first hand how her beautiful girl is now thriving and healing.

Before leaving Judy’s Mom had this to say:

“The Round Home is really for a girl like Judy. It is where girls like her receive love. Their lives are changed and the people here really love them. Judy received so much cruelty at home, from my husband and in-laws, probably because they are ashamed of what happened to her and because she is deaf and mute. When she was still small, I asked God, where are the people who will love her? I didn’t think that aside from myself, there are other people who will love her. I am so happy for her now. Love146 is full of love... She is safe here now. She has a future here. I thank all of you...”

Your support has helped write stories of hope into the lives of these children and mothers. From all of us at Love146, and more importantly, from the mother of one child who is being protected and restored, thank you.

-Rob

President & Co-Founder
Love146
Follow me on Twitter HERE