The Hope of Healing and Restoration through Economic Empowerment

I met Victor Joseph, the president of Agape International Ministries at The Protection Project symposium. At the event, Dr. Joseph shared his research on human trafficking in India and the possibilities of survivors' lives restore. I invited him to be our guest blog to share his findings with you. I hope you will find his work insightful and encouraging. Enjoy.

"For many years, I have agonized over the human rights violations and suffering of young victims of sexual trafficking in India. Women and children are often victimized through corruption, abuse, and torture, making them the most neglected and vulnerable individuals in Indian society. At a young age, instead of playing with their peers, they are forced into sexual slavery and must experience severe brutality.

Vulnerability from economic desperation leads young girls into human trafficking. Girls are sold into brothels as early as the age of eight, with most of them coming from poor families. Traffickers approach their family and offer financial assistance to help get them out of debt. Parents are told by these abductors that their daughters are going to a rich family as housemaids or to the city to work in factories.

Trafficking of persons is a crime against humanity because each and every person deserves the opportunity to live with dignity and with a sense of self-worth. When that dignity is stolen, we must do more than protest – we must prevent that dignity from being stolen from others in the future. Self-worth and independence cannot be achieved if there is no serious attention given to economic self-sufficiency. Hope comes from a sense of self-worth and liberty. These victims need to experience freedom in their lives—freedom to be economically empowered, self-determined, and self-expressive in order to receive forgiveness and embrace the future-mindedness in their lives. During my research, I found that victims desire to stand on their own feet through financial independence. It is a part of regaining their lost self-worth, self-esteem, dignity, hope, and future mindedness. Many of these girls would say, “You can conquer my body, but you cannot conquer my mind.” Agape International Ministries is determined to help these girls regain what is stolen from their lives.

For more information on human trafficking in India, you can read my research publication, which is now available at www.agapeim.org. Please help AIM financially so that we can help rebuild the lives of these innocent girls whose lives are completely shattered and stolen at a very young age. You may make a tax-deductible contribution payable to Agape International Ministries, P.O. Box 221, Valley Forge, PA 19481-0221."

I hope you will read Dr. Joseph's excellent research publication and consider supporting Agape International Ministries. I hope you will also join RIJI Green to restore survivors' lives through economic empowerment. Please consider shopping and empowering survivors of human trafficking at www.RIJIgreen.com