Helping victims become survivors

It's crazy to think that slavery still exists today and is a bigger issue now than it has ever been.

Human trafficking is a global issue, and it's occurring here in Toledo, Ohio. Victims are captured by several means, some of which include coercion, threats and deception.

Once in the hands of a trafficker, victims may be beaten into silence or forced into submission, and these victims ultimately lose all control of their lives along with the hope of getting rescued.

Having the knowledge and understanding that this exists, I simply cannot ignore it. Human trafficking encompasses a number of forms, including forced labor and sexual exploitation.

I am devoted towards fighting against sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children. My ultimate goal is to work with sex trafficked victims using drama therapy and theatrical techniques to help them cope and recover.

To get more involved and educated, I have become a part of International Justice Mission campus chapter at the UT.

We focus on educating the Toledo community on sex trafficking, the alarming number of victims trafficked in Toledo and important preventative measures that must be taken in order to decrease these numbers.

This past summer I had an amazing opportunity to work with a sex trafficking preventative organization in Goa, India. Part of the journey to India included raising support.

To do so I sold shirts that said "Stop Human Trafficking: No One Should Be Bought and Sold."

It was so incredible to have people willing to give to a cause devoted to bringing justice to humanity into the world.

In India, many women become victims of trafficking by being sold into prostitution by their families or are tricked into believing a stable job is waiting for them in a major city in India.

Goa is a major tourist area where many foreigners come to have sex with young Indian women.

My group and I worked in the city of Baina, a former red-light district, where the organization offered stitching, art and English classes to women.

This is done in hopes that women acquire useful skills in order to get a decent job and do not resort to selling their bodies or becoming a victim of trafficking.

We taught nutrition classes that informed women about sexual assault, germs and diseases, menstrual cycles and how to take care of oneself.

The organization is also faith-based, stressing importance on teaching the women and children about freedom in Jesus and trust that the Lord will ultimately bring justice to the nations.

Many of the people I met in India completely changed me. In a preschool we worked at, the principal was raising support to start a school specifically for trafficked children in which he could both educate them and share with them the love of Jesus.

While in India, simply being able to tell the women they were beautiful and worth more than any mistreatment they experience made my entire trip even more incredible.

Starting last year, I participated in One Dress One Month, which involves wearing the same dress for a month and when asked about the dress, sharing information on sex trafficking in Toledo and around the world.

Participants are also asked to donate $10, representative of money spent on clothes during the month, towards The Daughter Project, an organization serving as a home for rescued trafficked victims.

I have found that wearing one dress for one month is a very humbling experience because you sacrifice the comfort of being able to change your clothes.

Despite weird looks and misconceptions, it is very rewarding to know I am a part of something bigger than myself. I made the choice to represent the women and children forced into sex trafficking who don't have a choice other than to wear the same clothes for months at a time.

This year, IJM decided to start it up the One Dress campaign for the month of October and there are a significant number of males involved wearing purple shirts representative of justice.

It has been awesome to see guys working alongside us because it gives men the opportunity to educate other men on the issue of sex trafficking.

I want to encourage anyone interested to educate themselves on the issue of sex trafficking and get involved in the steps towards justice.

Be the change the world needs and stand up for those experiencing injustice.

Please visit http://toledoijm.blogspot.com/ for more information on human trafficking and the University of Toledo's IJM.

— Jillian Albert is a senior majoring in theatre and psychology.