Lucinda*, a very talented young girl, was passionate about two things: singing and hairdressing. She was popular in her community and knew she had something to offer the world, so when the opportunity arose to sing at an important church event in another country, she accepted it without hesitation.
Following her dreams
An all-expenses paid trip to do something meaningful was exactly the break she had been waiting for! Her recruiter also offered her the chance to find long-term work in the country she was traveling to promising, "You have many talents; it will be easy for me to help you find a job.” She packed her bags and set off, praying that this would be the opportunity through which she could change her destiny. Unfortunately, her elation was short-lived.
Lucinda arrived in this unfamiliar country full of anticipation, excited to embark on this adventure and enjoy the new life she had been promised. It couldn’t get better than this; how lucky was she! None of her friends had been offered something like this, so she vowed to make the best of it and really work hard. Her recruiter, a member of her church, provided her with a script of things to say to the immigration officials.
The information wasn’t entirely true, but she had never done this before so assumed that was how it worked. In addition, she trusted this man; he was an esteemed person in her church, and she had no reason to be suspicious. Unfortunately for Lucinda, men like her recruiter prey on naive, hopeful young women, luring them with stories that speak to their greatest desires and dreams. Once across the border in a foreign land, where they often don’t speak the language and have neither money nor friends, the reality of what has happened emerges; and it is in stark contrast to what they had anticipated.
Timely intervention
Thankfully, for Lucinda, the team from Love Justice was monitoring the transit stations, looking out for people just like her, equipped with an understanding of how traffickers work and the ability to uncover suspicious behavior. Our staff approached Lucinda and began asking her questions about her travel plans. Many red flags were raised as our team interviewed her; the truth of what was happening became apparent as they dug deeper to validate her story and investigated the man who recruited her.
Inconsistencies and discrepancies emerged underneath all of the "too good to be true" promises, and it was clear that Lucinda had been deceived. Our staff felt very strongly that if they did not intervene, she was at very high risk of becoming a victim of human trafficking. They were able to assist Lucinda to safety, help inform her of the dangers of being lured into trafficking, and equip her to make wise decisions when taking opportunities abroad in the future.
Lucinda's story could have had a very different ending if not for the dedicated Love Justice staff working diligently on the front lines and the faithful partners who support and make this ministry possible. It truly takes all of us working together, in the field and at home, to fight this battle and save as many beautiful lives as possible from human trafficking.
*Names changed for privacy and security purposes.