Stand With Us Against Trafficking

We're seeing more passion for making change now than I ever have before. I can’t help but think of what would happen if all of this determination and energy got channeled towards ending human trafficking. United, we could end this global darkness once and for all.  We still have a lot of work to do. You may have heard that the 2020 Trafficking In Persons report came out last month. Romania was ranked as a Tier 2 Watch List Country, one step away from the lowest ranking possible. Unfortunately, it’s easy to see that trafficking is still a huge problem there. 78% of sex trafficking survivors rescued in Europe are from either Romania or Moldova. 50% of these survivors are children. Romania is the biggest source of sex trafficking survivors in Europe. Ending trafficking in Europe means ending trafficking in Romania.

The Romanian Government is ready for change. They’re asking for support from organizations like us and from people like you. We believe we are uniquely poised to help Romania become a Tier 1 Country, the best ranking, by 2022. At the request of our partners in Romania, Uncaged has put together a pledge that people like you can sign to declare your support for anti-trafficking efforts. Let's show the world just how massive this movement really is! Now is the time to take action. I’d like to invite to join me in growing the coalition to end sex trafficking worldwide.

You can help Romania eradicate trafficking just by declaring that you’re committed to the cause. Our partners in Romania know that hearing voices from places like the USA and Canada will accelerate movement in Europe.

Will you sign the pledge and help us put an end to human trafficking? Your voice is key in this fight. Like with everything we do for these survivors, your support swings the door to freedom wide open.  You can sign the pledge here or below. Your voice is powerful beyond measure. Let’s do this together for the survivors.

Praying for Two Kinds of Freedom

Sour cherries 🍒 and breathtaking sunsets at the first Sanctuary. Every inch of this place will breath life into restoration.

Our hearts are like these cherries - ready, ripe, and waiting. Our team feels so ready to welcome dozens more survivors.

We’ve had the privilege of walking with 23 survivors during Covid-19. 8 of those have just launched their new lives.

We know that in the face of the enormity of human trafficking, these numbers can feel small.

But then, a survivor like Helena* says that her time with us “helped me become the woman I always wanted to be.” What a powerful word.

Are we committed to tackling the atrocities of human trafficking at scale? Yes. We are working day and night to #endit and create restorative, global solutions.

But we are praying that we never lose sight of how precious each. one. survivor. is. This is not some abstract fight - these are real people with spirits, hearts, minds, and dreams. And we get to unlock transformation after so much has been stolen from them.

How incredible is that?

We hope you will join us in praying for freedom. First - the freedom for survivors to come home once travel restrictions lift in Europe. Then, for the freedom that comes with healing.

Launching 8 Unstoppable Survivors

Would you believe it if we say that survivors are some of the most hopeful people we’ve met? They’ve experienced unimaginable cruelty, but they still find good all around them.

We are celebrating that we recently “repositioned” 8 women in Romania. After 18-24 months of healing with a host family, they have moved on to begin their independent new lives. Even through tears of sadness over leaving their host families, they beamed. Each of them has a job, a dream, and newfound confidence.

“I learned to care for people and help as much as I can. I have tears of joy because I will see my family and live a new life,” Mihaela shared. As you know, she started her own booming sewing business during the pandemic.

Mihaela’s joy, and the other survivors' joy, fills our hearts with gratitude and resolve. Near the first Sanctuary, floods have damaged infrastructure and local gardens. The pandemic rages in Romania. But rain can’t wash away transformation, and even a pandemic cannot slow restoration. These renewed survivors aren't going to let anything stop them. Neither will we!

I cannot emphasize enough how crucial this moment is. COVID-19 has given us an unprecedented opportunity to scoop survivors out of traffickers’ clutches. Survivors are being abandoned by traffickers. They're raising their voices. Finally, governments across the world are reckoning with the realities of this other pandemic.

We are uniquely poised to fill the gap and unlock transformation for these precious souls. Uncaged already has local support from the government, community, and universities in Romania. We’re building a coalition of NGOs across Europe. Together, we're identifying freed survivors and planning for them to come to the first Sanctuary as soon as travel bans are lifted.

Your support and encouragement fuels this global movement. To capitalize on our momentum, can I ask you to consider investing in the first Sanctuary again? We can secure our impact across Europe and own the first Sanctuary if we raise $410,000 in additional funds.

We hold the keys to freedom. And the time for freedom has come.