Become a Key Holder Today!

We're so excited to give you the first look at our brand new Key Holder program! We've been on a long journey to see the dream of the Sanctuary in Romania come to life, and you've been right there with us. This year we were able to get the Sanctuary up and running. We received our official certification from the government. And what we’ve all been waiting for, we welcomed our first survivors onto the property!

We are unlocking transformation for survivors at The Sanctuary and you hold the key!

That's where the Key Holder program comes in. We need your help to continue seeing precious souls find freedom and healing. We're inviting you to have a closer look inside The Sanctuary and be an integral part of the ongoing journey of transformation we want to see happening in Romania.

Our Key Holders represent the most dedicated anti-trafficking advocates. Through a commitment of monthly giving, you can help us continue our work of unlocking transformation for survivors in Romania and across Europe.

No amount is too small, and every gift makes a difference.

Your monthly gifts will put you right alongside trafficking Survivors, providing for their needs and impacting their lives!

The ongoing costs of running the Sanctuary every month include:

• Facility maintenance and upgrades

• Clothing and food for the survivors

• Therapy training and supplies

• Upkeep for the animals and the grounds

• Paying the staff and running training

• Educating local people on how to fight trafficking right where they are

We are the very first facility in Romania to receive authorization to work specifically in survivor aftercare and protection. When the government gave us our license, there was no designation for what we do and there were no standards set for facilities like ours. They gave us more than we asked for and we will be able to set the standards for helping survivors that need protection from their traffickers in this country!

When you become a Key Holder, at any giving level, you will be a part of this ground-breaking work. You will also receive exclusive content every month. Dedicated monthly emails like this one will include information from our experts and stories from The Sanctuary you won't get anywhere else.

Become a Key Holder

Awareness on World Day Against Trafficking

The U.S. State Department annually releases the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) in July. This report ranks governments based on their perceived efforts to acknowledge and combat human trafficking.

This year's TIP report shows us that the needs are as great as ever. Romania remains a primary source country for sex trafficking and labor trafficking victims in Europe. More asylum seekers entered the country in 2021 (9,590, up from 6,000 the year before). Many of these migrants are vulnerable to trafficking while in the country where they do not speak the language or know how to protect themselves. We also saw an increase in the number of children trafficked, up to 77% of all identified trafficking victims from 72% in 2020.

This year, Romania moved from a Tier 2 Watch List country to a Tier 2 country, meaning the government is doing more to combat trafficking. We are proud to be partnering with officials in the government to see these efforts increase. Our team met with a high-ranking government official recently and when he heard that our work is fully funded by donors, his eyes lit up. Romanian people and officials alike are in awe that we are willing to invest in their country and their problems, and to partner with them in a well-funded solution that involves empowering Romanians in their own country!

On Saturday, we are joining many others around the world in observing World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This day helps bring much-needed awareness to the "serious crime and a grave violation of human rights" of trafficking. Learn more in this quick video.

This year’s theme of the day focuses on the role of technology. The U.S. State Department reported that Romanian "government officials and NGOs report increased recruitment of children via the internet and social media as a result of the pandemic. Media outlets allege the online sexual exploitation and abuse of girls as young as 12 years old."

Teaching children how to protect themselves is vital to stopping traffickers! That's why we're working to blanket Romania with anti-trafficking resources. We are in continuing conversations with local officials who are connecting us with the right people in the government so we can help influence, impact, and create standards for the prevention of trafficking and aftercare for survivors in the country.

We must remain vigilant to eradicate human trafficking and unlock transformation for its survivors. Thank you for helping us unlock the cage with your support!

Resourcing Anti-Trafficking Advocates Around the World

Our goal at Uncaged is to unlock transformation for trafficking survivors and to work towards ending human trafficking once and for all. Together with experts from around the world, we have been focused on Romania as our strategic first step in blanketing Europe in anti-trafficking efforts.

One key to our strategy is freeing survivors from the effects of trauma and equipping each one for a full, sustainable life. We empower survivors utilizing evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies. Our program integrates the best practices in human trafficking aftercare. We know that we must also share this knowledge and best practice with abolitionists everywhere and are proud to come alongside like-minded organizations to throw open the doors and end trafficking.

We saw this sharing of knowledge and resources happen earlier this year when our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Vanessa Snyder, was able to collaborate with O.U.R. in West Africa. O.U.R. is working to equip local organizations with the training and tools they need to support survivors of trafficking. Dr. Snyder worked in West Africa to train local groups on how to best help trafficking survivors heal from the complex and compound trauma of trafficking. She trained local collaborators in the group on many parts of the trauma healing process including how trauma affects the brain, behavior, communities, and families.

The staff at O.U.R. said "the impact of this training will have a ripple effect on survivor care throughout the region as the trainees share their experience and knowledge. We are grateful for collaborations like these that facilitate the healing journey for survivors."

Dr. Snyder was excited to be a part of bringing trauma-informed care training to parts of the world that have not been able to experience these types of training before. She said this kind of care is especially important because of the population served there. "It was wonderful being able to engage with leaders, counselors, and pastors doing this work in complex parts of the world," said Snyder, who trained about forty individuals. She noted that some had been child soldiers or had been trafficked themselves, and now they are doing the work to assist survivors in West Africa.

We are excited to see how our team is globally resourcing others with trauma-informed therapies that lead to transformation. This is how we end trafficking in Romania and then in the most desperate parts of the world.