I had heard about Bokenkamp, a children’s facility, in my home town for years. I knew it was there, but assumed it was like a huge foster home.
When you assume, you’re usually wrong.
A friend hosts Chick Time and they make monthly visits to Bokenkamp. Deciding I should step out and go, I dug in for more information. This is what I learned:
Bokenkamp hosts children from ages 10-18 mostly from Central and South America who made the dangerous trek to the United States, escaping deplorable conditions. These children were rescued in the process. They bring nothing; some arrive barefoot, hungry and thirsty with only the clothes they have on. Some have family in the United States, while others have been sent by their own families in hopes they will escape civil war, the drug trade and poverty. Some travel thousands of miles alone, while most pay large sums of money to human traffickers to cross the border and find jobs.
Right here in my home town, just miles from my house, is a shelter for these young kids that have been trafficked. My heart pounded and I knew my daughter and I needed to go. Standing outside the shelter I hoped my soul could take what I would experience and see on the inside.
Seeing their faces everything changes.
You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know. — William Wilberforce”
I’ve heard the stats and maybe you have too — 27 million modern day slaves, every 60 seconds a child is sold for sex, and that human trafficking is the 3rd largest global industry. Those are sickening stats!
But walking into that room and seeing 30 young girls broke my heart. It was real! Seeing their bandages, I realized these weren’t just stats – they were young girls between 10-18. They had families. They had stories. All the sudden human trafficking had a face, a realness I wasn’t prepared to meet.
We spent a few hours there. I held back tears the whole time. I watched my daughter from across the room. She has a burden for human trafficking already at the age of 19. Read her account of the day here. Luckily they gave me permission to take in my camera and I got to live behind my lens. Of course, to protect the girls no faces could be photographed and they searched my camera afterwards.
When you know you can’t sit idle any longer.
After crying our eyes out all the way home, I knew surely there was something more I could do. That’s when I found The Exodus Road. The Exodus Road is a coalition of covert investigators who are committed to fight human trafficking. Yes, people, secret investigators who fight human trafficking. A team of 15 undercover agents who have had 622 victim rescues and 349 legal prosecutions. Good guys to the rescue!
WOW! Not only can I love and serve those young kids who have already been rescued, but I can support the good guys who are trying to prevent and prosecute.
I encourage you to be a voice in this generation. Let’s reverse the stats. Let’s get involved. Let’s make a difference.
What can you do?
speak out
give financially to fund rescues
pray for an undercover investigator
join the Exodus Road on facebook and twitter (@theExodusRoad).
Oh please tell me, you’ll help be a voice for those who have none!
Have you come face to face with human trafficking? Your thoughts.
Great post, Alene. My tears would have been flowing had I been in that room with you and your daughter. Placing a face against the horrors of trafficking makes it so much more real and devastating. Bravo for your courage and determination to make a difference!
Love your courage too. Great to link up together in a vast Army and wrestle down the slavery issue. Wake Up World!
So..this is a near and dear subject to me. I went to their site and just don’t know….but maybe God will move me closer here. I came —->this<—- close to filling out the blogger application. GAH…speak to me Lord.
Join and help girls get recused — do you hear Him saying that???
I did. And I DID! I got my “welcome to the team” email about 10 minutes ago and I’m still stunned! I need you to email me or FB msg when you have time. Thanks!
YAY!!! Glad you will be spreading the message. It’s definitely one that needs to be shouted from one corner of the earth to the other. Many silent voices need a voice.
Thank you so much for emailing me this post. If I lived nearby, I would go with you regularly to Bokenkamp. What does the name mean? Surely it is the last name of a donor or something with meaning. In my head it sounds like a concentration camp! Urgh! Sometimes sound associations are not helpful. I signed up to blog for them. Much love…..
Awesome Laura! Also, I’m not ignoring your email. It’s been crazy and I have one more week of it — but yes, I’ll definitely write. I’ll email back soon, but most importantly I’m glad you checked out #Blog4Rescue. Blessings and love for 2013
We need to have real faces to the travesties around us to really sit up and take notice – sad, but true. We were recently involved with a group of women who climbed Kilimanjaro in a Freedom Climb to raise awareness of trafficking – a dear friends 18 year old even made the climb.
WOW Nicole – I think climbing Kilimanjaro would definitely bring a cause true to life. Did you climb too or just support them? Thankful you are raising awareness!
I was late for SITSharefest but someone share the link to this post. It has been in my heart to get involved in human trafficking and I’m so glad to find your post. Yes the stats is crazy and scary. I made a commitment to spread the word and to educate myself and others about this issue. So glad that I’m not alone on this and thanks to you I’m going to visit the Exodus Road to learn more about them.
Thankful you are looking at Exodus Road. Those silent voices sure need some mouths to speak for them. Love how your passion is making others aware of human trafficking. Hope to know you better along the journey!
What an awesome list of ideas to take action. Thanks for spreading the word, Alene.
Thanks, Justin. I’m so thankful for all you all at Exodus Road are doing. Glad more people are becoming aware. Can’t wait to hear about the mission trip coming up! Oh how I’d love to go as one of your bloggers. Blessings for 2013!
I have seen the Russian mafia visiting an orphanage and recruiting boys with their warm clothes, big cars and steak lunches. It is disheartening. Disturbing.
It’s good that you’ve noted some good, concrete ways to take action. This is a devastating thing that so many people know nothing about. I appreciate your words.