At last we are announcing the details of our T-shirt Launch and Benefit Concert!  The event will happen on Friday, March 19th at Rohs Street Cafe in Clifton.  This will be the first time our four T-shirts are available to purchase.  If you don’t remember, they are fair trade, organic cotton T-shirts made by survivors of the sex trade in Kolkata, India. In addition to shopping from Stop Traffick Fashion there will be great music and art to entertain you.

Music will be provided by:

ARTISTS & AUTHORS
FLAREGUN
and LAURA HELLEBUSCH

Plus, there will be a live painting done by Arian & Daniel Armstrong! Arian is the artist who designed 2 of our fabulous T-shirts, in addition to the winning design submitted by Alicia Gee.

There is a $5 suggested donation which will go to Hagar International.  Hagar is a leading provider of aftercare and rehabilitation for survivors of human trafficking and other human rights abuse in Cambodia, Vietnam and Afghanistan. Raffle tickets will also be for sale to benefit Hagar and a portion of proceeds from any merchandise sales will also be donated.

We hope you can join us to show your support for Hagar, survivors of human trafficking around the world, and Stop Traffick Fashion!

Venture Expeditions is organizing a cross country biking trip along the route of the underground railroad this summer.  The best part is that it will be in support of International Justice Mission!  Money raised will be donated to IJM and participants will also be stopping to raise support and enlist Freedom Partners along the way.

So if you’re looking for a an adventure and you want to support the fight against human trafficking this could be the perfect opportunity for you! Learn more here.

“…Our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores.”

— President Barack Obama
State of the Union Address, January 27, 2010

Dear Supporter,

Today, we’re asking all IJM supporters to invest a few minutes to ensure the U.S. government makes the fight against human trafficking a priority.

As you watched President Obama’s first State of the Union address, no doubt you had many concerns on your mind and likely Haiti was among them.

Breakdown of rule of law across the country in the wake of the January 12 earthquake has left many Haitians, particularly the tens of thousands of children orphaned in the disaster, vulnerable to violent human rights abuses, including human trafficking. I hope you’ll take just a few minutes of your time to join IJM in asking the President to address the critical needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

On Inauguration Day 2009, many of you answered the call to sign a letter to President Obama, asking him to make the eradication of slavery and trafficking a hallmark of his presidency. Since that time, President Obama has appointed committed diplomats and made a powerful statement by declaring January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

I’d like to ask you once again to join IJM in calling on President Obama to protect children from trafficking and exploitation, in Haiti and around the world.

IJM has demonstrated in slavery-burdened countries like Cambodia and the Philippines that when local governments have the necessary political will, financial resources and training, it is possible to rescue and protect victims and put the criminals who prey on them behind bars. We need your help to ensure that the Obama Administration continues to provide the resources and diplomatic support to help foreign governments make more victories like these possible. Rebuilding Haiti’s police and courts must be a top priority.

Your voice makes a difference. Please sign your name to IJM’s letter to President Obama and forward this to others, urging them to do the same.

Thank you for all you do to protect children, women and men from violent injustice.

In partnership,
Eileen Campbell
Director of Justice Campaigns
International Justice Mission

The operations conducted simultaneously to avoid a tip-off freed nine victims of sex trafficking and secured the arrest of 10 suspected perpetrators.

Planning the concurrent operations at multiple locations (all bars operating as fronts for trafficking) in the metro Manila area required weeks of investigation and collaboration. The rescued girls are receiving round-the-clock counseling from IJM social workers and will soon be placed in local aftercare homes where they will receive long-term care.

Please read the below newsletter from Freeset in Kolkata, India.  You can support these women by buying one of our Freeset totes and coming soon, the Freeset tees.

Everybody tells me I’m hard to buy presents for. I guess it’s hard to get excited about stuff, especially when most of us have too much already. I have to say though, if a present can be likened to being able to see freedom at work in the lives of women, there is no Christmas present quite like it. A couple of weeks ago one woman gave me the best Christmas present ever. Let me explain.

While Gina was trapped in prostitution she had no room to call her own. She used to stay under another woman’s bed in a brothel. I guess there were times when she had to wait while her friend finished with a customer before she could emerge from underneath the bed. I presume when she had her own customers she was permitted to use the bed for a fee.

Fortunately, not long after joining Freeset, she was able to move into a new room with her six year old son, a place they could call their own. Well, you could call it a room but it’s more like a closet, a room created from the empty space underneath a skinny staircase. The highest point is four feet and the lowest – well – you get the picture. Still, Gina has been able to leave the sex trade and that’s worth celebrating.

There are times though when Gina, at her new job at Freeset, falls off asleep. You see, being H.I.V. positive means she is not always feeling Hi Everyone, on “top of the world.” Thankfully, the antiretroviral medication helps bring some stability to her health.

Good rooms are hard to come by in our community so I’m always on the lookout on behalf of Gina and other women. I mean, wouldn’t it be great for Gina to have a better room. Just two weeks ago Gina heard about a room coming available in the very building she was living in. With a little bit of help with the deposit she would have a much better living space for both her and her son. I could see just how much she wanted that room.

When the landlady approached me to see if Freeset wanted to take on that room I was faced with a huge dilemma. Gina wasn’t the only one in need. Women trapped in the sex trade often have lots of, what I call, parasites feeding off them - people who sit on their backsides doing nothing but using the women as a source of income. Their aim is keep them in the trade and live off them as long as they can. Of course these women can never be free until the parasites are dealt with.

Sadly, even though Putul has been at Freeset for a while, she is yet to be free from prostitution. Although this is hard to understand, her parasites are her mother and brother who pressurize her to stay in the trade.

Talking things through with Putul, we both agreed the best way forward was to find a new room away from her family parasites. Now you can see the dilemma. Who gets the room? Gina or Putul? And who gets to decide?

Knowing that Gina had her mind set on that room I decided to talk with her first. ‘Gina, I know you’d love to move to the bigger room and it would be great for you and your son. The difficulty is that Putul is still selling her body and desperately…” Before I could finish my carefully crafted sentence of explanation Gina interrupted with the biggest of smiles. “Give her the room. I have freedom now. I’m free and she’s not – please give the room. I’d love for her to have the room.”

My Christmas present: To be further down the track in understanding what real freedom is. I guess sometimes we think freedom is the absence of conflict and pain and the ability to have total control over our lives. Gina has neither and yet can stand before God and others and say I’m free. Of course, it helps me understand a little more about this baby born in a stable who didn’t have a room either.

Kerry

Thank you all so much for your support of Stop Traffick Fashion this year! Your purchases have allowed us to fulfill our mission: to be a boutique about restoration and change. From the start we promised that every item you buy will have a direct impact on the lives of exploited people around the world. Not only are our products made by survivors of human trafficking—giving them the means to gain confidence and support themselves. Additionally a portion of the STF’s revenue goes to organizations that work hands on rescuing and equipping victims of trafficking.

This year we’ve made donations to International Justice Mission and Hagar International.

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Hagar International is an international Christian organization committed to the recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration of women and children who have been victims of human rights abuse in Afghanistan, Cambodia and Vietnam. Hagar combines social programs and social businesses as an effective way of restoring women and children to wholeness. Hagar works with women and children from devastating backgrounds of violence, abuse and trafficking and enables them to be strong, resilient, and financially independent members of society once again.

Here’s what we were able to do this year—thanks to you. Following each item is a specific story of the impact IJM and Hagar have made this year.

• Three months of training to prepare one woman for work through Hagar.

When Bhoupa was 17, she received an offer too good to be true. A promised waitress job turned out to be life in a brothel. She escaped once, only to be returned. Finally set free, she still had no way to support herself. With Hagar, she chose to learn cosmetology. Now, Bhoupa runs her own salon, has recently married and is expecting her first child.

• Tuition for one child for one year through Hagar.

Taree came to Hagar after being systematically abused by a relative for a long time. She needed time to heal, and she also needed time to catch up in school, which she had rarely attended. After two years at Hagar’s “catch-up” school, she reached her age-appropriate grade level. Hagar helped her integrate into a Cambodian school. Now, Taree dreams of becoming a doctor.

• State-of-the-art undercover equipment that enables IJM investigators to make life-saving rescues.

In Chennai, India IJM workers were able to free a family from rice mill slavery, based on the father’s courageous testimony. “The freed slaves gathered with IJM staff outside the government office. On the realization that he and his family were now free, a wide smile broke out across Kushan’s face, the weight of the past three years falling away. Touching his daughter’s leg gently, he turned to his wife and smiled.”

• Fees to cover one IJM client’s case to trial.

This December, International Justice Mission helped convict seven traffickers in Mumbai, India. “Convictions like these are critical to change the “fear equation” in Mumbai—ensuring that perpetrators are rightly afraid of the just consequences of the law, so the vulnerable do not need to fear them.”

This global problem is overwhelming, but we can work together to take small steps toward big change.

There have been several exciting updates from International Justice Mission in October!

• On October 6th slaves in a rock quarry in Chennai, India were freed by a joint operation with IJM and local authorities.  Read the entire story here to find out how one man’s debt of $10 led to slavery for him and his family for 15 years.
• Another two operations in conjunction with local authorities in the Philippines on October 25 & 27th freed 16 victims of sex slavery, secured the arrest of 5 traffickers and made headlines in the Philippines.
• To find out more about how you can support IJM’s work check out their website.  $5 from the sale for our Freedom Tote is also donated to IJM!

IJM also creates great resources to educate you and your friends about the struggle against modern slavery.  They have recently released a brand new documentary called At the End of Slavery: A Battle for Justice in our Time. Order a copy and host a home screening to learn more about slavery, the hope that exists today and how you can get involved.  November 14-15 is IJM’s Weekend to End Slavery.  People always ask me what they can do to make a difference and this is an easy way to start! The more people know about slavery the stronger we become in the fight.  If you can’t do it the weekend of November 14-15th that doesn’t matter - just do it.  I’m excited to get my copy!

If history has shown us that the monster of slavery assumes new forms, it has also shown us that its oppressive systems crumble in the face of those who heartily oppose them. It is our collective responsibility to oppose slavery in the time given to us. History is on our side. - At the End of Slavery *WATCH THE TRAILER*

Several weeks ago I was able to attend a conference about the work done by Hagar International.  I had a great time learning more about human trafficking and the philosophy of Hagar’s work in Cambodia, Vietnam and Afghanistan.  Hagar takes a very holistic approach to providing rehabilitation for survivors of trafficking and other human rights abuse.  It was great to hear from leaders of Hagar and other organizations telling before and after stories about women who have been in Hagar’s care and testifying to the restoration that is possible! Here is a letter from Hagar USA’s Executive Director about the recent progress in Vietnam:

Twelve Vietnamese women have begun to make sense of their own stories.  Hagar Vietnam has completed its first week of direct services to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.  The first week focused on personal empowerment in a safe environment.  There were tears and sadness but also displays of tremendous courage.  Most women used crayons and paints for the first time, illustrating their pasts and symbols for their envisioned futures.  The next step will be job readiness skills and vocational training.  This is an exciting new phase.  Despite their traumatic pasts, 12 women will develop a sustainable means to support themselves.

We are excited to announce this launch of Hagar Vietnam, based in Hanoi. In Vietnam, there is nearly a total lack of programs enabling marginalized women to achieve economic independence.  To fill this gap, we are working through partnerships with the government, technical schools and businesses.

Prior to last week, activities have focused on training staff at two existing shelters to deliver client-focused services.  As with all Hagar programming, our goal is to facilitate a future of hope, resilience, and dignity for women who have suffered great injustices.  We promise to keep you updated as our work proceeds.

An important part of Hagar’s approach is providing economic empowerment to enable long term resilience.  Hagar trains their clients in various job skills and many of the women in Cambodia learn to make handbags.  That’s where Stop Traffick Fashion comes in!  Buying handbags from Hagar Design plays an important role in providing hope to these survivors.  We encourage you to find out more about supporting them directly as well.

We’ve just added a new event coming up in a couple of weeks.  On Friday, October 30th at 6pm we’ll be at the Cincy Chic Fall Fashion show at the Havana Martini club.  Come and see us (and our bags in the fashion show!).

And, we’ve recently added some new bags to our collection!  They aren’t available on the website but they will be available at all of our trunk shows and upcoming events.  The new bags are from the Nomi Network and are made by survivors in Cambodia.  Nomi Network exists to leverage the marketplace in order to eradicate sex slavery.  We’re very excited to be working with them.  You can watch their video and see that their vision is very closely aligned with ours.  Join us in putting your dollars to work.

“Either you fight it or you’re part of the problem” - Benjamin Skinner

International Justice Mission has just released a statement about 3 successful rescue missions that took place this week - what great news!  You can leave a comment on their post to encourage all the teams in the field.  I am sure they could use it!

We’ve said it before, but IJM is a great organization working to rescue victims of slavery around the world.  Your support enables them to do this imporant work.  I encourage you to check out their site and see how you can get involved.  You can also support them by purchasing our Freedom Tote.  $5 from the sales of each bag will be donated to IJM.