This past Thursday, June 19, a few of us from No More Slavery worked at a table at the Third Thursday Street Fest. The Paul & Lisa Program were there with us, and were able to tell people about their program, which is located in West Haven, CT. We brought information about human trafficking and also sold some products through the organization Made By Survivors. You can check them out on the web at their web-site, www.madebysurvivors.com. The products were astoundingly beautiful, and at a very affordable price. It’s funny to encourage consumerism to support a cause, but that’s what we did! The people who make the items are mostly women victims of human trafficking in places like Nepal, India, and Thailand. Most pieces have a tag that says where they were made. The products are paid for up front, so even before we get them to sell them, the organizations where they have already been made have been paid, so the women who work there have housing, medical and psychological care, and a place to stay. Even if something is produced that doesn’t sell well, Made By Survivors loses the money, not the women who made the goods.
Here is the section of their page that describes how they help in providing survivors to victims of trafficking, supporting prevention programs, and providing income for the organizations that take these women in so they can receive quality long-term care through education, medical and psychological services, legal services. This money also goes to public education programs about human trafficking, prevention programs, and more!
Many people who came to our booth have heard of human trafficking internationally, but some did not realize that it occurred in the United States, and even right here in Connecticut! It seems many people go through phases of learning about human trafficking, including those of us in this group. At first we’re outraged on a theoretical level, knowing that people overseas are trafficked. But when we learn it happens here in the U.S., it really hits home because we believe that we live in a just country and things like that couldn’t happen here. Though many see injustice in their own lives first-hand and may not be as shocked, but the realization that it happens here often motivates us to want to do something about it.
If you are one of those people who are shocked and outraged, and want to let other people know that it does happen here in Connecticut, we hope you’ll consider joining our mailing list (send an e-mail to nomoreslavery@storrschurch.org and we’ll keep you updated), be a part of our group (take a look at the “events in Connecticut” and come and join us!), or just want to learn what you can do (see the “What you can do” tab at the top of the page), we hope you’ll find information here that will help you.
