She was only five when a social worker found her under a cardboard box in a country far from home. Oceana was rescued from the situation she had been trafficked into at a tender age. When we first met her, she was non-verbal.
When she met our European Director, Beni Lup, she gave him the only gifts she could find to show her thanks: a little cookie and a magazine she had received on the airplane that brought her home to Romania. When we played Oceana songs in the car on the way to her host family, the word she repeated over and over again was “happiness.”
A year later, she was so excited to go to school for the first time that she woke up her mother in her host home at 5 in the morning. She was shouting, “It’s time for school!” She’s been living with this loving family and seems overjoyed to be a kid again. She lights up when listening to the radio in the car, singing along as best she can.
Beni got to see her again recently and said she is excelling in school, putting words and sentences together, and relating well to other children. She has healed tremendously, but she still has a long way to go. In particular, she has a few serious health issues due to the trauma she suffered.
For survivors of trafficking, rescue is the beginning. Unlocking the cage means freeing survivors from the effects of trauma and equipping each one for a full, sustainable life. We aim for nothing less than total restoration.
Be a part of journeys to restoration as you partner with us. You can be the key that unlocks this kind of transformation!
*Uncaged never reveals the identity of a survivor. Oceana's name and image have been changed.