Children's Day Around the World

In Romania, Children’s Day (Romanian: “Ziua Copilului”) is celebrated on June 1st. It is observed on the second Sunday of June in the United States and on other dates around the world. This day was established in 1925 by the World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children in Geneva, Switzerland. It is a day to bring awareness to the vulnerability of children to violence and to improve the welfare of children.

This month we lift our voices with others who are raising awareness. Children are especially vulnerable to traffickers around the world. As of 2021, children represent nearly 50 percent of identified trafficking victims in Romania (U.S. State Department).

We’ve seen it time and time again. Last year a partner agency in Eastern Europe came to us with the story of 35 trafficked women and girls in just one town. Children are groomed for exploitation early in life. Many are stuck in generational patterns, born into slavery. Others have parents who are involved in their abuse in the first place. We must do more than help them escape. We must prevent these horrors from ever occurring in the first place.

That’s why one key part of our strategy is creating a network of abolitionists in Europe and then around the world. Starting from the Sanctuary, we want to see freedom ripple outward. We are working on even more ways to share our knowledge and best practices with individuals and organizations that can help us end trafficking.

On this day, and every day, we must throw open the door to free children from being enslaved. Be the key. For children around the world.

Meet Our New Chief Clinical Officer

It is with great excitement that we announce Dr. Vanessa Snyder has joined Uncaged full-time as our Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. Snyder already has a long history with Uncaged, beginning in a volunteer capacity and traveling to Romania several times before coming on as our International Program Director in September 2020. She has been a key part of Uncaged, creating our holistic trauma-informed therapy program.

Dr. Snyder has specialized in treating complex trauma and sexual abuse for over a decade. She earned her Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Christian Sex Therapy from Richmont Graduate University and her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, Master Traumatologist, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a Green Cross Certified Trainer.

She comes to Uncaged with extensive knowledge from owning a private practice in Atlanta and serving as the Founder and Director of the Richmont Trauma Center. She served there as Associate Professor as well as Dean of Clinical Affairs. Dr. Snyder brings experience from her work with Abolition International (Nashville, TN) on research and program evaluations of trauma treatment models in sex trafficking shelters. She also served as the Chief Clinical Officer at No Longer Bound (Cumming, GA), a long-term faith-based, clinical treatment program for men in addiction.

It is this knowledge of trauma that guides the unique way Dr. Snyder will guide the approach to healing at Uncaged. “One of the distinctions of trauma in sex trafficking is its complexity,” says Snyder. “Many trafficking survivors already have a history of some kind of trauma, or many traumas, during their developmental years. Those traumas may include abuse, neglect, poverty, war, or a host of other things. But trafficking becomes an additional horror they experience.”

Dr. Snyder’s research on trauma and secondary traumatic stress in aftercare providers of trauma equipped her to lead Green Cross and Richmont Trauma Response Teams. She traveled globally working with refugees, widows of martyrs, and trafficking victims.

Dr. Snyder brings this vast experience to the therapeutic elements survivors will experience at The Sanctuary. “Healing is absolutely possible,” she says, “but it looks different for each individual. We have to make space for what survivors think health looks like for them. Sex trafficking takes away survivors’ ability to have choices, have a voice, and have power. We want to give those things back to survivors.”

She recently spent time training local people and pastors in West Africa with an affiliate organization. We are excited to see how our team is globally resourcing others with trauma-informed therapies that lead to transformation. As Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Snyder will oversee the training of therapists that will work with trafficking survivors at The Sanctuary.

We know healing is possible with the right people and the right strategy. With Dr. Snyder on board and your support, we’re on our way to unlocking transformation for survivors and ending human trafficking once and for all!

Let's Act Now!

Human traffickers weren't stopped by the pandemic. In fact, the desperate situation around the world created by COVID-19 created more opportunities for these evil schemes. During the pandemic access to employment in Romania decreased 85% creating greater vulnerability to trafficking.

The war in Ukraine has created similar opportunities for human trafficking. Vans have been showing up at the border, ready to take advantage of vulnerable women and children fleeing from the war.

Traffickers are more ready than ever to carry out their plans. But, we are ready, too! Throughout the pandemic, we've been continuing our work of rescuing girls, of training a network of anti-trafficking advocates all over Europe, and getting The Sanctuary in Romania is ready to receive thousands of precious souls ready for healing. With your help, we've been unlocking the cage. We cannot wait. Let's fling the doors to freedom open wide!

Hear from Beni Lup, our European Director on why we are crying, "slavery no more!"

In the past couple of months, we've shared with you all the exciting things that are happening at Uncaged. In just the past few emails, we've shared with you that the Sanctuary is fully paid off. We've responded to the needs at the border and created simple systems and training to stop traffickers in their tracks. We've told you how we are making the most of our resources to offer holistic trauma-informed care to survivors, including equine therapy, art therapy, and building flourishing relationships between survivors.

We are seeing such exciting things happening on the property, in the lives of survivors, and all across the Freedom Network that is growing through Europe. The time is now to act. We believe we can see trafficking stopped in our lifetime. Will you join us and be a part of what we are doing? Will you be the key?

As Beni Lup says, "We don't want to be found guilty for not acting when we are required to." Let's act now!