The Warrior

By: Camilla Cloward 

(Survivors name is changed)

We walked past her, interacted with her, even judged her but no one saw her. No one saw her pain, or that she was trapped in a life of being sold, beaten, and raped. We made our own judgment that it was her choice, and that she was selling herself. As if a child could consent to such a thing as being sold and raped by grown men. People label it prostitution, but they are wrong. It is human trafficking, sex trafficking, and inhumane. Everytime they use the word prostitute she dies a little bit inside, screaming “no, this is not my choice.” She was groomed into sex trafficking at the age of 14. Not many people know that the average age that someone is forced into the life of human trafficking is 12 to 14. 

This child's name was Kiersten. She lived through experiences that no person, let alone child should ever face.  Kiersten had met a man at the mall and she thought they were in love. She was 14 and he was 20.  Society praised the idea of an older man taking out a young 14 year old girl. He spent months gaining her trust, her love, and her loyalty. Predators are always very patient creatures. He coerced her into thinking that she had to be sold for sex in order to pay the bills. This method of grooming someone into human trafficking is called the “romeo effect”. The romeo effect is when a predator convinces someone that they are deeply in love and in a relationship. Once some time has passed they force the person into the life of trafficking. They use a mental and psychological bond to coerce them into thinking there is no other choice. A trafficker preys on someone's vulnerabilities and often uses the hierarchy of needs. 

One night, after being raped and abused by a grown man she decided that she was going to tell her trafficker that she was done. She looked him in the eye and told him that she was out, that she would help in a different way to get the money. In that moment her prince that she was convinced loved her was gone, and the true beast that he was emerged. He started beating her, threatening her, telling her that she could not leave and if she tried to leave he would kill not only her but her mother as well. Those were the last words that she heard before she lost consciousness. 

After a long time Kiersten finally regained consciousness and dragged herself over to the mirror. She no longer recognized the person staring back at her, the girl who loved sports, school and hanging with friends was gone. Her childhood was gone. The person staring back at her was an empty shell and had nothing left. For years she lived this way as her trafficked dragged her to 13 different states, selling her, and beating her. One night, now 18, Kiersten hadn’t met her quota. Her trafficker beat her so bad that he broke some ribs and left her with two black eyes. He then sent her back out to make more money. Having no other choice but death she went back to repeat the cycle of laying on her back so she and her mother could keep their lives. 

She met a man that night that would help her rescue herself from this endless cycle. He was part of a cartel that could protect her from the monster she once loved. She took the leap and ended the chain of endless nights of being raped, beaten and having no control. She broke the mental, psychological and physical bond that held her to her trafficker. It took more bravery than most people have in a lifetime. She ended up marrying the man who helped her that night. Though the marriage didn’t work out, she got her true savior out of it, her daughter. 

When she found out she was pregnant she decided it was time to reunite with her mother. It had been years since she heard her mothers voice and when her mother told her to come home tears started to stream. In that moment she stepped into the role from being a victim to being a survivor. 

A few years later she would make the next step into being a warrior. This incredible woman now fights for other women's freedom in her work at Generate Hope. Generate Hope is a residential treatment 501c3 center. She helps other victims step into being survivors then leads them into roles of warriors as they fight to help others thrive.  She sees what would have helped her and goes and fights for others to have it. 

Generate Hope works with survivors through healing, housing and education. They have intensive therapy programs in all of their housing. Generate Hope has educational programs on many subjects including finance, high school, college, and job preparation. Not many victims of human trafficking get the chance to have a normal education and most don’t get the opportunity to graduate high school. Education is such an important piece in order to thrive and for survivor to get their voices back. 

Kiersten also gives other survivors a voice as she tells her story. She stands up for every victim, survivor, and warrior as she musters the courage to tell what she experienced and how she got through it. She encourages everyone to walk with her and fight toward a slave-free world.