When reflecting back on this trip I think that two things stood out as my favorite service. I really liked volunteering at Courtney's House and teaching at Thurgood Marshall School.
What really struck me about Courtney's House was the dedication that all of the employees had. Looking around the house you could see the "rules of the house" that the kids had written up. I also appreciated that Courtney's House also provided services for boys and trans youth since many times I feel so that those exploited populations can get forgotten.
I also appreciated how serious Courtney's House took security and confidentiality. I talked to one of the employees in the investigation department about the cyber security they have in place. That is something I would be interested in, tracking pimps and victims though cyber investigation.
At Thurgood Marshall I got to talk with two students about if they liked our presentation and one girl said she thinks we should give the presentation to every high schooler in DC. Another girl said that the pen exercise during the consent lesson. I also talked to Ms.Lee and she was so grateful that we came in and that all the kids love it and learn so much every year.
One of the students was really interested in UMD and wanted to know about the Criminology and Criminal Justice major. I was so happy that our time at Thurgood Marshall was able to teach the students about human trafficking and represent UMD as well.
- Lucas
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Last Day of Teaching
Our trip culminated with a day of educating two high school classes at Thurgood Marshall Academy. We all felt more comfortable teaching today because of our experience from the previous day. Yet again, the students were very intelligent and open to discussing the issue. They were very inquisitive and asked questions about who a human trafficking victim is and how pimps manipulate them. It was cool to see the students connecting the issues that we talked about to their lives, people they know, and things they have seen in their community.
Some common misconceptions came up in our discussion with the students. Some of the kids get their ideas of human trafficking from shows and movies such as Taken. However, Taken is an inaccurate depiction of what human trafficking is. Most victims are not kidnapped, they are manipulated into "the life" through force, fraud, and coercion. It is really important for youth to understand this so that they are careful and aware when they are talking to people on the internet or on the street.
Another misconception we came across was the idea of prostitution. Sex trafficking means that the victim lacks choice but the term "prostitution" implies choice. When you consider that one girl is forced to have sex with 20 men a day you realize that no one chooses to do that.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing how the students at Thurgood Marshall understood human trafficking and now know the signs of human trafficking so that they can intervene in the lives of their peers when they notice something. It was also amazing to see how our group worked together as a team and answered questions that the students had. I'm excited that we, in our small way, could be a part of preventing the victimization of someone.
Some common misconceptions came up in our discussion with the students. Some of the kids get their ideas of human trafficking from shows and movies such as Taken. However, Taken is an inaccurate depiction of what human trafficking is. Most victims are not kidnapped, they are manipulated into "the life" through force, fraud, and coercion. It is really important for youth to understand this so that they are careful and aware when they are talking to people on the internet or on the street.
Another misconception we came across was the idea of prostitution. Sex trafficking means that the victim lacks choice but the term "prostitution" implies choice. When you consider that one girl is forced to have sex with 20 men a day you realize that no one chooses to do that.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing how the students at Thurgood Marshall understood human trafficking and now know the signs of human trafficking so that they can intervene in the lives of their peers when they notice something. It was also amazing to see how our group worked together as a team and answered questions that the students had. I'm excited that we, in our small way, could be a part of preventing the victimization of someone.
Last Day of Service
Today was our last day of service. Saturday, tomorrow, will be our day of fun in DC. Maddie will talk about the first part of our day/Thurgood Marshall, so I'll cover the second part, which was volunteering at Sasha Bruce Youthwork and having a "team dinner", if you will.
The weather today was cold and rainy and very unpleasant, but we all pulled through. Last night at reflection we agreed we would do our best to have the most energy possible for today, and I think for the most part we followed through. We got to Sasha Bruce and met Mrs. Brown, who taught math and science for their Youthbuild program, which essentially prepares the clients for the GED and other skills for entry into the "real world". Ms. Brown gave us a few tasks, mostly organizational things, and we did a lot of sorting and binding and got it done fairly quickly. It was not laborious activity but it was productive.
After a couple hours there we walked in the cold and rain to a bus stop several blocks away to get to dinner very early, and halfway down realized that we left poor Caroline behind at Sasha Bruce because we forgot to do a buddy check! Anyway, the timing with the bus worked out ok and we got to H Street Counry Club, which we had made a reservation for a few days prior, but when we tried to go in we learned it was restricted to 21 and older. Of course, Mandy is the only one that wasn't problematic for, but she somehow persuaded the manager/security guard to let us eat there. The Mexican dinner was delicious and we got an absurd amount of appetizers. Mostly everyone walked out with a takeout container. Afterwards we went to a next door pie place and ordered two pies, but realized about 10 minutes later that we ordered slices ($7 each) instead of whole pies (about $33 each). Thus, we ordered one more slice and had a bite of pie each, instead of having a slice each.
We got back to the house and our incredibly gracious hostess Slauka offered us two whole homemade pies.
Then we did reflection and explored the Active Citizen Continuum and played Touch Someone Who, both of which were enjoyable. Overall the day was satisfying, and most of us aren't quite ready for the trip to be over (or to clean the whole house tomorrow morning).
-Emily
Friday, March 20, 2015
Last Day Feelings...
So it's our last day of service on our Alternative Break in D.C. and everyone's a little exhausted, a little sore, and a bit smelly, but the group also has this awesome positive aura. The energy has entirely transformed since the first day we all arrived in D.C.. Instead of the anxious and rather awkward looks exchanged between our team on the first night of discussion, excitement and passion are evident when catching someones gaze from across the classroom during our final reflection.
One thing I noticed on this trip is the way a group of people interacts and grows. On Sunday we all could barely take a picture without feeling the uncomfortableness, but now at the end of the week, we can barely keep from hugging each other when something emotional is said. Not only that but our team successfully educated two classrooms full of high school students at Thurgood Marshall Academy on the issue of Human Trafficking. To me that not only shows group connectivity but immense growth in the knowledge about the issue. I've personally witnessed the growth 16 amazing individuals over the past 6 days.
The emotional connections we've all built on this trip isn't even half of the success though. Speaking a little about community activism, I can say we all contributed as best as we could to combat the issue of Human Trafficking. We not only grew as a team emotionally, but as educated community activists. The AB trip gave us an environment, in which anything seemed possible. It was a totally judgement free zone; we all felt as if we could share our opinions and feelings on the topic freely. Additionally, when becoming more aware on one social issue, like human trafficking, you consequently, become more aware and active in dealing with other social issues as well. The entire trip was a great opportunity to focus oneself on the social issues that surround us everyday and realization that if you aren't a part of the solution you're most likely a part of the problem.
On the last day of the AB trip in D.C. one additional thing really sticks out to me as quintessential to the trip's success: our trip leaders. The level to which our trip leaders performed their roles exceeded all expectations I had. From cracking jokes at metro stops, to channeling our groups emotions into a well led discussion, and putting up with all complaints well mannerly and unclogging toilets our group leaders ensured our trip's absolute success. Each one of the leaders offered something different and encouraged everyone at all times to keep their heads up and be positive in the face of such a cumbersome issue.
- Ben
One thing I noticed on this trip is the way a group of people interacts and grows. On Sunday we all could barely take a picture without feeling the uncomfortableness, but now at the end of the week, we can barely keep from hugging each other when something emotional is said. Not only that but our team successfully educated two classrooms full of high school students at Thurgood Marshall Academy on the issue of Human Trafficking. To me that not only shows group connectivity but immense growth in the knowledge about the issue. I've personally witnessed the growth 16 amazing individuals over the past 6 days.
The emotional connections we've all built on this trip isn't even half of the success though. Speaking a little about community activism, I can say we all contributed as best as we could to combat the issue of Human Trafficking. We not only grew as a team emotionally, but as educated community activists. The AB trip gave us an environment, in which anything seemed possible. It was a totally judgement free zone; we all felt as if we could share our opinions and feelings on the topic freely. Additionally, when becoming more aware on one social issue, like human trafficking, you consequently, become more aware and active in dealing with other social issues as well. The entire trip was a great opportunity to focus oneself on the social issues that surround us everyday and realization that if you aren't a part of the solution you're most likely a part of the problem.
On the last day of the AB trip in D.C. one additional thing really sticks out to me as quintessential to the trip's success: our trip leaders. The level to which our trip leaders performed their roles exceeded all expectations I had. From cracking jokes at metro stops, to channeling our groups emotions into a well led discussion, and putting up with all complaints well mannerly and unclogging toilets our group leaders ensured our trip's absolute success. Each one of the leaders offered something different and encouraged everyone at all times to keep their heads up and be positive in the face of such a cumbersome issue.
- Ben
Pictures from the trip!
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| Visiting the Lao Gai museum and hearing from laogai survivor, Harry Wu |
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| Eating lunch on the mall! |
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| Outside of Casa San Salvador, where we are staying this week! Thanks for hosting us! |
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| Serving dinner at Calvary Women's Services |
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| Eating lunch in between teaching classes at Thurgood Marshall |
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| Organizing binders for Sasha Bruce's GED program |
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| Visiting Sasha Bruce's Youthbuild center |
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| After our celebration dinner :) |
Day 5: Teaching about human trafficking
As we worked on our curriculum last night, you could notice that all of us were nervous and unsure of what to expect of teaching at Thurgood Marshall; however, we were all surprised at the results. Waking up early was definitely worth it because we were able to get to Anacostia early, take a tour of the high school, and interact with the teacher. I was personally very impressed by not only the structure of the school, but most importantly the educational program the school offered these kids. It was evident that the teachers and the rest of the school staff was very invested in giving students the best education possible to prepare them for college. We got to hear about some of the universities that students from Thurgood Marshall have attended or been accepted to, including Ivy Schools. After hearing about many of the school's resources and academic achievement of the students, we finally got to interact with them directly.
Once we walked into the classroom, we introduced ourselves and began our lesson about human trafficking with a brief introduction and a fun activity called "Pimps and Hoes". In this activity, the students were allowed to come up to the board and draw characteristics that they thought represented such. It was surprising to see how the students were so engaged in the topic and interested in learning more about it. Then, we divided the class into groups, which provided each of the AB participants the opportunity to directly interact with the students, have a teaching experience, and share their knowledge on human trafficking. Teaching at Thurgood Marshall was an unforgettable experience and even though tomorrow is our last day of service on the trip, we are all really excited to go back and hopefully have an impact on these kids.
- Desiree
Once we walked into the classroom, we introduced ourselves and began our lesson about human trafficking with a brief introduction and a fun activity called "Pimps and Hoes". In this activity, the students were allowed to come up to the board and draw characteristics that they thought represented such. It was surprising to see how the students were so engaged in the topic and interested in learning more about it. Then, we divided the class into groups, which provided each of the AB participants the opportunity to directly interact with the students, have a teaching experience, and share their knowledge on human trafficking. Teaching at Thurgood Marshall was an unforgettable experience and even though tomorrow is our last day of service on the trip, we are all really excited to go back and hopefully have an impact on these kids.
- Desiree
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Day 5: Teaching at Thurgood and Shared Hope International!
Today, we finally had the opportunity to teach at Thurgood Marshall Academy! We all were mostly excited to interact with the students and share with them our knowledge of human trafficking. I was surprised at how well the lesson plan went today: the class was receptive of what we had to say and actively participated and discussed. Some students even knew the facts before we said them! I lead an activity with Lucas, which went pretty well. We had students describe and draw on the whiteboard stereotypical depictions of "pimps" and "hoes" and explain why they made those choices. They also learned about the definition of human trafficking, the steps, and rape/consent. I would say that the students enjoyed the lesson, and I genuinely enjoyed working together with everyone to teach.
After Thurgood Marshall, we went to Shared Hope International to help write a grant proposal for new technology. We came up with a few ideas of where to get funding and watched a presentation on the general facts of human trafficking. This was also a good experience because I learned some figures about human trafficking (like how much money the industry actually makes).
We came back early and prepared dinner, then ate with AB alumni visiting. Today was an awesome day, and everyone is excited to go back to Thurgood to teach some more tomorrow!
- Nnenna
After Thurgood Marshall, we went to Shared Hope International to help write a grant proposal for new technology. We came up with a few ideas of where to get funding and watched a presentation on the general facts of human trafficking. This was also a good experience because I learned some figures about human trafficking (like how much money the industry actually makes).
We came back early and prepared dinner, then ate with AB alumni visiting. Today was an awesome day, and everyone is excited to go back to Thurgood to teach some more tomorrow!
- Nnenna
Day 4 and 5!
Our ASB trip has been wonderful thus far. We have learned so much more about the issue of human trafficking through various information sessions with leaders in the fight against it, including Tyra from Fair Girls, Rachel from Courtney's House, human rights advocates from Vital Voices and numerous videos. Volunteering at Calvary Women, Courtney's House and teaching at Thurgood Marshall have all been ways for us to truly showcase our newly gained knowledge about the subject and to help those who are helping human trafficking survivors on a daily basis. Aside from the context of the trip, bonding with our team has been an incredibly fun and exciting experience. I have loved how we have progressed from some nervous tension the first day to now being friends, open with each other and acting stupid together constantly. It is refreshing to see just how quickly we have been able to bond and create friendships, thanks to the nature of our trip, our wonderful trip leaders, Sarahann, Sam and Mandy, and the character of every participating individual. I cannot wait to continue growing this friendship and spending time with everyone even beyond the end date of this trip.
Three highlights from this trip thus far for me are speaking with an incredibly inspiring woman at Calvary Women, listening to how Courtney's House functions/what it does for its survivors and discussing the issue of human trafficking with seniors at Thurgood Marshall Academy (charter high school). I love going to Calvary because we can sit down around dinner and talk with women who are living there. The woman I talked to on Tuesday was incredibly inspiring. She did not even know our names and willingly and enthusiastically opened up to us, telling her story. To hear about all of the obstacles she has faced in the past decade was extremely disheartening. However, to also hear and observe how strong she is still and how passionate she is about moving on and changing her life by starting over is incredibly inspiring. The strength and openness this woman portrayed around us as strangers was very cool and made for a very impactful dinner conversation. By the end of the night, I was upset when Chef Barbara came around, telling us that it was time to clean up, because I wanted to continue talking!
Upon arriving at Courtney's House, their Director of Operations, Rachel, talked with us about what exactly their organization does and the difficulties involved in their work. She discussed the different aspects of support and care they provide their survivors and the work of the investigative/street outreach and public awareness team. She mentioned how they have a staff of only six employees while working with 20 survivors in the program currently. When I heard this, I was completely blown away. I could not comprehend how, with only six employees, Courtney's House was so well-known in the human trafficking combatant sphere and how effective they are at what they do. These six women truly touch and change the lives of the survivors in their program. It is incredibly inspiring to know that the work of so few can have such a profound impact. This idea truly reflects the passion they have for the work they do, which was clearly portrayed while talking with Rachel. The way in which she talked about the survivors, the issue and the confidential nature of their organization's work beamed with passion and genuine care. It was truly a wonderful experience to be able to help such an incredible organization significantly through just some simple spring cleaning!
Today we were given the privilege to talk with a class of seniors at Thurgood Marshall Academy about the factors involved in human trafficking. Our goal in speaking with these students was to hopefully raise awareness about the seriousness of the issue, break misconceptions and to both equip them with the tools and to inspire them become advocates of fighting human trafficking. Going into it, no one knew how the students would respond because of the nature and seriousness of the subject. Being one of the team members facilitating the introduction, I was very excited to be able to start off such a cool experience, but also slightly apprehensive how effective I would be at engaging the students. However, from the very beginning the students made my job extremely easy because they were engaged, excited and interested to discuss human trafficking and more than willing to contribute to the conversation. Seeing such participation and interest so quickly made me very excited about the rest of our introduction and of the lesson plan. It was a really neat experience to be able to walk the students through the concept of human trafficking while they were so responsive. However, the best part of the experience was seeing just how emotionally effected they were by the severity and seriousness of the issue. You could tell that we brought them new information that really broke down those pop culture induced misconceptions of human trafficking and showed them just how sad and frustrating this issue is. Multiple students were yelling that we should conduct undercover missions to catch the pimps in action and arrest them. The emotional response that the students experienced made me very happy because it showed that we accomplished our goals in talking with the class about such an important issue today.
This trip rocks!!! Thanks for reading :)
Day 4: Courtney's House and Dedication
3/18/15
On Wednesday, we went to Courtney's House to do some spring cleaning. Many of us were excited to perform service. Previously, we had mainly been educated on the issue of human trafficking. It is important to know more about the issue and more about how we can currently help. Additionally, we also learned about places in our area where we could help survivors of trafficking. We wanted to assist Courtney's House so that the staff there could focus more on helping survivors.
When we arrived, Rachel gave us a short introduction about the staff and mission of Courtney's House. It was early, but Rachel seemed happy and eager to tell us more about the issue and Courtney's House. She told us that the owner, Tina Frundt, founded this organization. She is a survivor of human trafficking herself. She is currently passionate about helping domestic survivors who are children and teens. Courtney's House spreads awareness, finds survivors of trafficking, and helps survivors with things like counseling, support groups, and academic support. The community is very accepting and supportive of survivors' needs.
Rachel also stressed the importance of confidentiality in the house. The building is undisclosed to protect survivors. Mostly, survivors do not interact with those who do service to remain anonymous and to be emotionally secure. If those outside the organization do meet survivors, the staff members never introduce them as survivors. This helps survivors not feel self conscious. I thought that this was very important because of the issue. Additionally, I thought Rachel's dedication to confidentiality was great. She wanted to stress the importance of confidentiality, because she knows how important it is to survivors.
After Rachel told us this, she said that there were only 6 staff members. I was amazed. Six staff members had to help survivors, do logistical tasks, find funding, and cook and clean. Not to mention, Tina speaks around the country and educates people about sex trafficking in the US. The staff members do many different tasks, because there are so few of them. Even so, each staff member was extremely warm and engaged.
This particular week, three staff members were out of town. Rachel had to do more tasks than usual. Even so, she was excited to talk to us and to tell us more about the issue. She wanted to make sure we knew the important aspects of human trafficking. When she was talking, you could just tell that she was dedicated to survivors and the issue in general. Her dedication and passion was amazing to see.
People who are passionate about human trafficking, or any social justice issue, can inform and inspire others to make a change and help non-profits in their area. The more people know about human trafficking, the more people will help combat this issue. Passionate people like Tina, Rachel, and the entire staff at Courtney's House are very dedicated to their clients. This dedication can help make survivors' lives better. Every life matters. Emotional support is vital to survivors. This is why Courtney's House is doing great work.
Ella
On Wednesday, we went to Courtney's House to do some spring cleaning. Many of us were excited to perform service. Previously, we had mainly been educated on the issue of human trafficking. It is important to know more about the issue and more about how we can currently help. Additionally, we also learned about places in our area where we could help survivors of trafficking. We wanted to assist Courtney's House so that the staff there could focus more on helping survivors.
When we arrived, Rachel gave us a short introduction about the staff and mission of Courtney's House. It was early, but Rachel seemed happy and eager to tell us more about the issue and Courtney's House. She told us that the owner, Tina Frundt, founded this organization. She is a survivor of human trafficking herself. She is currently passionate about helping domestic survivors who are children and teens. Courtney's House spreads awareness, finds survivors of trafficking, and helps survivors with things like counseling, support groups, and academic support. The community is very accepting and supportive of survivors' needs.
Rachel also stressed the importance of confidentiality in the house. The building is undisclosed to protect survivors. Mostly, survivors do not interact with those who do service to remain anonymous and to be emotionally secure. If those outside the organization do meet survivors, the staff members never introduce them as survivors. This helps survivors not feel self conscious. I thought that this was very important because of the issue. Additionally, I thought Rachel's dedication to confidentiality was great. She wanted to stress the importance of confidentiality, because she knows how important it is to survivors.
After Rachel told us this, she said that there were only 6 staff members. I was amazed. Six staff members had to help survivors, do logistical tasks, find funding, and cook and clean. Not to mention, Tina speaks around the country and educates people about sex trafficking in the US. The staff members do many different tasks, because there are so few of them. Even so, each staff member was extremely warm and engaged.
This particular week, three staff members were out of town. Rachel had to do more tasks than usual. Even so, she was excited to talk to us and to tell us more about the issue. She wanted to make sure we knew the important aspects of human trafficking. When she was talking, you could just tell that she was dedicated to survivors and the issue in general. Her dedication and passion was amazing to see.
People who are passionate about human trafficking, or any social justice issue, can inform and inspire others to make a change and help non-profits in their area. The more people know about human trafficking, the more people will help combat this issue. Passionate people like Tina, Rachel, and the entire staff at Courtney's House are very dedicated to their clients. This dedication can help make survivors' lives better. Every life matters. Emotional support is vital to survivors. This is why Courtney's House is doing great work.
Ella
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Day 4 and 5
On Wednesday, March 18th, we went to Courtney’s
House, a place that helps survivors of human trafficking heal in a safe environment.
Tina Frundt, a survivor of human trafficking, started Courtney’s House to have
a place for survivors to gather and heal together. Courtney’s House and Tina
also do a lot of advocacy and outreach into the community to spread awareness
about human trafficking. Rachel, the Director of Operations, gave us an
overview of their organization, their outreach programs and how they help their
survivors. It was really great to see the amazing work that Tina, Rachel and
all of the other women at Courtney’s House had accomplished and how much more
they want to do.
We spent the day cleaning the house and organizing a lot of
the donations that they received. I helped clean the first floor. There was a
lot of cleaning to do, but because we worked quickly as a team, we were able to
accomplish all that the staff needed in a few hours. After talking to other
group members, a lot of us had the same mindset of wanting the place to be a
clean, welcoming environment that the survivors would want to spend a lot of
time in. It was a great service opportunity and a great way to help out women
who are doing amazing work.
I have had several highlights throughout this trip so far. I
enjoying going to Calvary Women’s Services and serving food to the women. It
was great to hear stories about the women, how they were overcoming their
struggles and to see them enjoying the food. Also, I was inspired by Chef Barbara
who works at Calvary Women’s Services. She spends a lot of her time cooking for
the women, spending time with them and empowering them along with the all of
the staff. Calvary Women’s Services has a great program to help women who are
temporarily or permanently homeless find jobs and a get back on their feet. They
also have programs that help women with mental illnesses, trauma, skill
building and more. In addition, I highly enjoyed teaching at Thurgood Marshall
High School. The students actively participated and wanted to learn more about
the issue. I’m excited to go back tomorrow and I know we’ll have a great time
teaching again!
- Tiara Beatty
- Tiara Beatty
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Day 3
Vital Voices, K Street, American History Museum, and Calvary Women
Today was filled with a lot of exciting experiences! We began our day by visiting the Vital Voices offices in downtown DC. The office building had marble floors and mirrored elevators, and as we all piled into the conference room to meet with Emily, a staff member, everyone was remarking at how different this space looked from the other organizations we visited. Although at first the luxury of the office felt wrong, as if more money was funding the facility than the issue at hand, we realized that Vital Voices truly has played a vital role in responding to human trafficking abroad. Emily told us about her experiences working with women and girls in the Peace Corps, and how that lead her to join Vital Voice where she manages the company finances, and travels around the world aiding community leaders fight human trafficking in her spare time. Gigi, one of Emily's colleagues, also wowed the group with her story about working as a prosecutor on a landmark case against human trafficking in New Jersey before joining Vital Voices' legal team. By the end of our visit, the entire group felt inspired- and a little stressed out- by the seemingly endless career opportunities we were now aware of!
Renewed after Vital Voices, we took some time to reflect on the new information we had about human trafficking while walking down K Street, one of the DC tracks where human trafficking takes place. During the day, the street bustled with businessmen and women, workers talking over their lunch breaks, and sounds of construction. In the distance, the peak of the Washington Monument towered over the skyline. K Street looked like an average stretch in the city- nothing like the images of tracks that we had seen in documentaries. Because of this, I found myself constantly forgetting- and then forcing myself to remember- that at night and in the early hours of the morning a much darker scene takes place. We walked in silence to help ourselves keep this in mind, and I found the dramatic contrast of the situation moving. Many members of the group shared in this experience, and I think we all felt even more motivated to take action after the walk. Luckily, we had the chance to do exactly that serving women experiencing or at risk of homelessness at Calvary Women's Shelter at night.
A lot of the members of our ASB group did not get to go to Calvary on our pre-trip service, so it was nice to have everyone experience Calvary together this time around. Many of us were able to engage in conversations with the women staying at the shelter and we all learned so much through these interactions. Some women were not as open; however, some surprised us with the information they were willing to share. I was personally touched by how much one of the women I spoke with encouraged me with her positive attitude and joy despite the situation she is in. She was so thankful to have us around that night and it was amazing to receive that encouragement and to leave fulfilled when we were the ones trying to offer up an act of service by serving dinner. For those of us who were able to go to Calvary last time, it was amazing to see the turn over in the women staying there and witness who was able to find homes and who Calvary was able to take in as a result of those women finding homes. During reflection we all remarked at how interesting the day was, because it exposed us to vastly different- but equally as important- methods of contributing to improving the lives of those in need around us.
-Caroline and Chloe
Today was filled with a lot of exciting experiences! We began our day by visiting the Vital Voices offices in downtown DC. The office building had marble floors and mirrored elevators, and as we all piled into the conference room to meet with Emily, a staff member, everyone was remarking at how different this space looked from the other organizations we visited. Although at first the luxury of the office felt wrong, as if more money was funding the facility than the issue at hand, we realized that Vital Voices truly has played a vital role in responding to human trafficking abroad. Emily told us about her experiences working with women and girls in the Peace Corps, and how that lead her to join Vital Voice where she manages the company finances, and travels around the world aiding community leaders fight human trafficking in her spare time. Gigi, one of Emily's colleagues, also wowed the group with her story about working as a prosecutor on a landmark case against human trafficking in New Jersey before joining Vital Voices' legal team. By the end of our visit, the entire group felt inspired- and a little stressed out- by the seemingly endless career opportunities we were now aware of!
Renewed after Vital Voices, we took some time to reflect on the new information we had about human trafficking while walking down K Street, one of the DC tracks where human trafficking takes place. During the day, the street bustled with businessmen and women, workers talking over their lunch breaks, and sounds of construction. In the distance, the peak of the Washington Monument towered over the skyline. K Street looked like an average stretch in the city- nothing like the images of tracks that we had seen in documentaries. Because of this, I found myself constantly forgetting- and then forcing myself to remember- that at night and in the early hours of the morning a much darker scene takes place. We walked in silence to help ourselves keep this in mind, and I found the dramatic contrast of the situation moving. Many members of the group shared in this experience, and I think we all felt even more motivated to take action after the walk. Luckily, we had the chance to do exactly that serving women experiencing or at risk of homelessness at Calvary Women's Shelter at night.
A lot of the members of our ASB group did not get to go to Calvary on our pre-trip service, so it was nice to have everyone experience Calvary together this time around. Many of us were able to engage in conversations with the women staying at the shelter and we all learned so much through these interactions. Some women were not as open; however, some surprised us with the information they were willing to share. I was personally touched by how much one of the women I spoke with encouraged me with her positive attitude and joy despite the situation she is in. She was so thankful to have us around that night and it was amazing to receive that encouragement and to leave fulfilled when we were the ones trying to offer up an act of service by serving dinner. For those of us who were able to go to Calvary last time, it was amazing to see the turn over in the women staying there and witness who was able to find homes and who Calvary was able to take in as a result of those women finding homes. During reflection we all remarked at how interesting the day was, because it exposed us to vastly different- but equally as important- methods of contributing to improving the lives of those in need around us.
-Caroline and Chloe
Day 3
Day 3: Vital Voices, K Street, and Calvary!
Today was a busy day for all of us. We got
up early-ish to head over to Vital Voices, an NGO that works with women leaders
around the world. There, we listened to Emily talk about the organization (its’
mission, history, etc) and asked her questions. One thing I found very cool was
that Vital Voices was founded by Hilary Clinton.
After visiting Vital Voices, we went to K street (a “track” where
human trafficking activity is known to happen) and reflected on what it means
to those who work on the track while we walked a few blocks. What surprised me
was how normal the street looked during the day; there were many businesses and
restaurants, which made it seem like any other D.C street. It must be very
different at night, but I was not expecting a hustling and bustling street with
people going about their business.
We made it down to the Mall and ate lunch, then we went to the
American History Museum to look at the African American history exhibit (which
was closed for repair :( but we went to the food exhibit :) ). The best part of
the day, I think, was going to Calvary to serve dinner for the women there. It
was awesome talking to Chef Barbara and seeing the residents. The residents
were excited about the food we brought for them and were happy to talk to us.
The women I sat with kept praising the lasagna and saying how we did a
wonderful job making dinner.
Overall, today was an awesomely busy day, and I can’t wait to see
what the rest of the week brings!
- Nnenna
Day 2
Today we were given a presentation by Tyra, an anti-trafficking activist
and spokesperson for FAIR Girls. FAIR Girls is an organization based out of
D.C. that provides comprehensive services for girls from 11 to 21 years old
that have been the victims of human trafficking. FAIR Girls has case managers,
social workers, and court advocates who assist the survivors that they work
with. They have many programs from crisis intervention and housing, to education
and prevention. Tyra gave us the “Tell Your Friends” presentation, which is
meant to introduce youth to the topic of sex trafficking and considers
vulnerabilities to exploitation and pop culture. Tyra gave us a good overview
of the two different kinds of human trafficking: labor and sex. Most of our
discussion was focused on sex trafficking.
One of the most interesting parts about our conversation with Tyra was
talking about how pop culture, particularly music, perpetuates the idea of
pimping and prostitution. We read the song lyrics to “PIMP” by 50 Cent. The
song very clearly and explicitly describes recruiting, grooming, and selling
girls from the perspective of a pimp. It was shocking to me because the song
was portraying being a pimp as a cool and positive thing. It is appalling to me
that society accepts these kinds of false messages, yet people do not know that
many and boys are actually forced to sell sex in this country.
Tyra also showed us a video called The Making of a Girl. In
the video Rachel Lloyd, the founder of a survivor services organization in New
York called GEMS, talks about the life of a girl who is coerced into commercial
sexual exploitation. It was interesting to think about the cycle of how a girl
becomes a victim. The story that she explained started with a girl who was sexually
abused when she was younger and who came from an impoverished background. Later,
when the girl is coerced into having sex for money she is more easily
manipulated by the pimp because she is used to the abuse because she had been
raped in the past. When we think about “prostitutes” we need to consider that
many of these girls come from troubled backgrounds. We should not judge women
that we see on the streets and assume that they are “working” of their own free
will.
This week has been so crazy, but I am loving every minute of it! Some of my favorite memories from Tuesday were eating lunch on the mall with the team and going to Courtney's House to serve dinner. We prepared lasagna, salad and macaroni and cheese for the women there and I had an excellent conversation with Mandy and this woman about her experiences and about human trafficking in general. I loved my time there and we have really bonded with the Chef! Her name is Barbara and she will be competing in a cooking competition in April, so we will all make sure we send her good vibes!
Wednesday we went to Courtney's house to clean and learn about their services. I was surprised at how small the house was, and that they only had 6 women on staff, but they are doing really amazing things for children who have been trafficked into "the life". Ben, Caroline and I spent most of the day cleaning the kitchen, which turned out to be more of a challenge than we initially anticipated. However, we killed it in there and the staff was super impressed.
This is a video of us hanging out on the mall! What happens when 16 people are forced to live in a house, do service and educated the community together? This is the Real World DC, UMD AB style!
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Getting the Early Start
Already on the spring break schedule, waking up at 8am today was not ideal for me. However, the simple thought of participating in an alternative break experience as well as doing something productive during my spring break motivated me throughout the day, and will continue to motivate me throughout the week. We arrived at our lodging around 10:30am, and from there, we were introduced to the house manager and some house rules. The highlight of the day came when the whole team began our bonding with games ranging from small icebreakers to some competitive rounds of Chinese Mafia. We were able to get comfortable with one another very quickly and I believe this will allow us to have some heart to hearts. In the afternoon, we watched a documentary on human trafficking, and personally, this allowed me to mentally prepare for the week ahead. The night ended with reflection and I know the team is looking forward to the week ahead!!
Day One! 3/15/2015
Today is the first day
of our AB trip 2015.
We arrived at CSC around 10:30 am.
We were able to learn everyone’s name and something cool
about each other through games such as Chinese Mafia and fish-bowl. We also got
our groceries ready for the week which makes us super prepared and be within
our budget. After that we watched the documentary which gave us closer insights
and information regarding Human Trafficking; our afterward reflection on the
video was great as well. After that we were able to have delicious dinner of cheese
sandwiches with soup cooked by the boys.
In short, this was a very productive
first day and we definitely broke the “ice”!
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Calvary Women Service Trip
On
February, 19th, some members of the ASB Washington, D.C.: Human
Trafficking group and I had the privilege of cooking a meal and serving it at
Calvary Women in D.C. We met in the
afternoon to cook and drove into D.C. later in the evening. I was very excited
about this mini trip because it was our first actual act of service since the
team was put together. When we got to the shelter, we were greeted by the head
chef with a big smile. As we made our entrance apologizing for being slightly
late, she reassured us that it was not a problem and welcomed us in immediately.
Before we started serving dinner, she informed us that some of the women we
were about to serve are very grateful and pleasant, while some were not so
much. And with that, we started serving dinner.
We took turns and after everyone was served, some of us were able to sit down with some of the women and talk to them as we ate our dinner. At first, I planned on sitting with another team member because striking up a conversation with these women seemed intimidating. Some were clearly jaded from what life has thrown at them and I didn’t know what I could possibly have in common with them. Any sort of conversation with these women seemed like it would be like stepping on eggshells and awkward. However, something led me to ask three women if I could sit at their table with them. alone. We introduced ourselves and I listened to one of the woman who was talking to gauge a starting place for a conversation.
I quickly realized that although these women may have gone through different circumstances than myself, they were not very different from me. Often times, we see people in need or victims of something like human trafficking and feel disconnection. We can’t always relate to someone who is homeless and on the streets when we have comfortable homes to live in. We might want to help them, but we don’t know where to begin. It seems like a farfetched idea to have relations with them since they seem like they lead very different lives from us. When it comes to human interaction, we are often drawn to people we have things in common with. My interaction with these women made me realize that there does not have to be this disconnect between us, who seem like we’re better off, and others, who are in clear need of help. At the end of the day, we are all human and that in itself connects us all. Just like how we stick to people in our same majors, or those with the same hobbies, we as humans can come together and ask for help when we need it and serve at times when we have more than enough. -Caroline
We took turns and after everyone was served, some of us were able to sit down with some of the women and talk to them as we ate our dinner. At first, I planned on sitting with another team member because striking up a conversation with these women seemed intimidating. Some were clearly jaded from what life has thrown at them and I didn’t know what I could possibly have in common with them. Any sort of conversation with these women seemed like it would be like stepping on eggshells and awkward. However, something led me to ask three women if I could sit at their table with them. alone. We introduced ourselves and I listened to one of the woman who was talking to gauge a starting place for a conversation.
I quickly realized that although these women may have gone through different circumstances than myself, they were not very different from me. Often times, we see people in need or victims of something like human trafficking and feel disconnection. We can’t always relate to someone who is homeless and on the streets when we have comfortable homes to live in. We might want to help them, but we don’t know where to begin. It seems like a farfetched idea to have relations with them since they seem like they lead very different lives from us. When it comes to human interaction, we are often drawn to people we have things in common with. My interaction with these women made me realize that there does not have to be this disconnect between us, who seem like we’re better off, and others, who are in clear need of help. At the end of the day, we are all human and that in itself connects us all. Just like how we stick to people in our same majors, or those with the same hobbies, we as humans can come together and ask for help when we need it and serve at times when we have more than enough. -Caroline
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