01 Jul Celebrating Independence for Victims and Survivors!
Posted at 17:10h
in updates
| As you spend time celebrating our country’s independence this week, we hope you’ll rejoice knowing that victims and survivors of sex trafficking are also gaining independence across Washington state! Read on for some fantastic updates from our SAFE partners. Survivors are getting jobs and moving forward in life! Great things are happening through SAFE partners who are preparing survivors for employment and preparing employers to hire survivors. “Julia” is a great example of this. When Julia came to REST she was eager to exit the sex trade and find work that would allow her to keep her apartment and care for herself and her child. But with no other way to provide, she felt stuck in the life. With REST’s support and new interview clothes, she was able to interview with a company (that had been prepared by BEST to hire trafficking survivors) to do administrative work and she got the job! She is now working full-time and expects to be able to keep up with her expenses within a month. Julia is excited about her new job and more importantly, grateful to leave the trauma of the sex trade behind. Survivors gaining INDEPENDENCE through employment allows them to leave the life of sexual exploitation for good! Washington tribes are coordinating and learning together to help keep their people safe from human trafficking! In early May, the first ever conference called “Human Trafficking in Indian Country – Identify and Respond” was convened by one of SAFE’s partners – Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (IHTC). The conference included three days of expert speakers who provided training, survivor stories, and equipping from area partners. 250 people attended and were equipped, including representatives from 19 Tribes from throughout Washington state and beyond. Later in the month, IHTC presented six interactive human trafficking educational workshops for Tulalip Tribal middle and high school youth. They had over 400 youth and 30 school staff members attend. IHTC also conducted two trainings on human trafficking for casino administration. As part of those trainings, participants heard from a male survivor who lived through being trafficked in a Tribal casino resort. There were 83 casino administrators trained and equipped with tools to identify victims and connect them with resources and support. Our native neighbors gaining INDEPENDENCE from sexual exploitation on tribal land and beyond is a huge step toward eradication of sex trafficking in our state! Buyers are getting help and accountability! The Stopping Sexual Exploitation (SSE) program is already working with their fourth cohort of 2019. This program increases sex buyer’s accountability through courses that aim to decrease recidivism, help men understand their behavior and promote their own decisions to NOT buy sex. The third cohort this year went so well that a few of the participants felt motivated to continue finding accountability through the post-SSE program: the Men’s Accountability Community. One participant has already committed to visiting the fourth cohort to speak to the group about his experiences in class and how he has continued finding accountability after the program ended. At the beginning of the program, this particular participant was especially resistant and confrontational, so his journey to this point is encouraging for everyone involved. Sex buyers gaining INDEPENDENCE from their buying habits is an upstream way to help prevent future victimization and commercial sexual exploitation. |
| INDEPENDENCE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR! Independence for victims and survivors happens because of their courage to escape hard situations. But it is also facilitated and made possible by YOUR support of SAFE and our partners as they provide healing places for victims and survivors to go when they’re ready for independence. Their independence is worth fighting for and we’re so grateful you’re standing and fighting for them alongside SAFE. THANK YOU! To bring more independence to victims and survivors across our state, we encourage you to: Donate Now! |