Thank You on the Behalf of the Survivors

Our first trauma-informed retreat hosted survivors from ages 14 to 34. I had tears in my eyes all week. I watched them drive up and heard their gasps as they got out of the car and experienced the fresh air, the welcoming staff, and the dogs. They were giddy when they received their welcome bags filled with toiletries, a journal, an adult coloring book, robes, slippers, and soft blankets. I saw them smelling the roses. I watched as they enjoyed the porch swings, listened to the birds singing, splashed around in the pool, enjoyed delicious food, played games, and danced.

These girls and ladies went from timid and scared to doing trust falls with their team. We saw the transformation happening right in front of our eyes!

And it wouldn’t happen without people like you gathering around us, supporting us financially, encouraging us, and praying for us! Because of you, freedom and transformation is possible for these precious, resilient souls!

Here is a personal "thank you" message from a survivor. I asked her what she liked best about The Sanctuary and this is what she had to say:

On behalf of the Survivors, thank you.

Kim Westfall

Impromptu Advocate Training at a Hotel in Greece

Our European Director, Beni Lup, sent members of our team a message over the summer. He was on a much needed getaway in Greece. Instead of sitting by the pool in his hotel, he did what Beni is most passionate about. He talked to the owner of the hotel about the human trafficking situation across Europe and what Uncaged is doing to prevent and end trafficking.

As he got to know the owner and his daughter, they asked Beni if he would train some of their staff on how to recognize trafficking victims. They wanted to do their part. He trained 12 hotel workers, 4 business owners, and 8 tourists (2 from Romania, 2 Albanians, and 4 Serbians) in simple ways to recognize a potential victim. He taught them how to ask her in a very subtle way if she needs help if they see these signs:

1. A big age difference between the man and the girl

2. The girl has no documents in her possession

3. He does not allow her to be alone

4. He calls for a taxi often and sends the girl out

5. She avoids people’s eyes and would always look at him if the waiter asks her questions

6. She has marks or bruises

7. She avoids being in pictures

8. She has no phone with her

9. Look for specific tattoos

We're so excited to share our knowledge and best practices with people and see abolitionists across Europe join the fight. We'll keep doing this until slavery is no more!

Will You Hold Onto Hope With Us?

We love to share stories of hope with you. We see hope in the beauty of the Sanctuary and in the transformation we see happening in the lives of survivors. It is what keeps anti-trafficking advocates going—the belief that what we do makes a difference in the lives of precious souls.

We also need to tell you the hard realities. There are staggering statistics that grieve our hearts, such as: During the pandemic, it was reported that online sexual exploitation and abuse of girls as young as 12 rose in Romania (U.S. Department of State).

Even when girls are rescued, the road ahead of them is long. There are legal battles to wage. Fear of their traffickers haunts survivors. Health issues often linger. Trust and relationships are difficult to build. Trauma takes a long time to fully recover from.

That is why we must stay the course and continue to walk alongsidesurvivors. It is not slow or simple. Yet, we believe healing can happen. We told you about Oceana, a child trafficking survivor, who went free several years ago. Our European Director gave us an update on her recently and her story spurs us on.

The Sanctuary is a place of hope for these women and girls, and we want to bring thousands more to the property.

Then, we continue to offer the aftercare they need. We hope Oceana’s story challenges you to join us in journeying with survivors as long as it takes for them to remain free.