Human Trafficking Toolkit
Hope does triumph. Love does heal. Heroes do rise from the dust.
Welcome
This toolkit has been crafted to inform and inspire you to join the fight against human trafficking.
Our aim is to bring awareness that leads to wholehearted action and we believe this will fuel a movement of many who are unstoppably committed to the well-being of all.
We believe that while our whys may look diverse, each why at its root is about making life better for others. Put simply, it is to find ways to be of service to those around us. Whether directly related to human trafficking or mobilizing you to commit to a different arena that is beckoning you, we hope this toolkit propels you further into your unique why.
In the buttons below, you’ll see the various elements of this toolkit.
We are holding you close to our hearts as you make your way through this carefully crafted guide. Choose your own adventure: click on the buttons to get right to where you’d like to go or simply scroll and explore what captures your imagination.
Anti-human Trafficking Organizations
This is in no way a comprehensive list of organizations and resources – we began with dear friends of ours and will continue to build this “living” toolkit. If you would like to be included in this toolkit, kindly email us with the following information: 1. Organization, book, or film/video name, 2. Website/URL, 3. Description (2-3 sentences) of your project, and 4. Contact information. We’ll reach out with questions or to confirm that you’ve been added.
3 Generations
A non-profit organization that documents stories of crimes against humanity through film, as a way to enable survivors to record their experiences as an act of healing, a call to action and to create historical evidence. Hear their stories; demand change. Website
Aruna Project
Aruna is an athleisure bags and accessories brand creating lifelong freedom for victims of sex trafficking by offering employment marked by holistic care. Through shopping their products, participating in their events, and donating to their work, you become a part of each woman’s freedom story. Shop for her freedom at Aruna Project | Learn more about Aruna in this video | Email
Daya International
Women suffer disadvantages and hardships in many cultures, especially in Nepal. Daya International shines a light on our sisters’ plight. Daya’s mission is to provide educational opportunities for marginalized women and youth in Nepal. Website | Email
Dressember
Dressember is a global movement utilizing fashion and creativity to combat human trafficking from every angle. Their mission is to equip and empower individuals to advocate for the dignity of all people, and their vision is a world where all are free. Each December they host a style challenge where men and women wear a dress or tie for 31 days. Join them at Dressember.
The Exodus Road
The Exodus Road envisions a world in which humans are never bought, sold, or exploited. They disrupt the darkness of modern-day slavery by partnering with law enforcement to fight human trafficking crime, equipping communities to protect the vulnerable, and empowering survivors as they walk into freedom. Website | Email
The Full Gospel Trust of India
This nonprofit and church works to address the problem of human trafficking. Their focus areas are Nepal, the Indo-Nepal border, the tea gardens of Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal, and the vulnerable districts of Jharkhand (namely Simdega, Gumla, Khunti, Ranchi, and Singhbhum). They raise awareness and intervention, rescue and “midway homes”, together with government officials and the police. Website | Email
Global Orphan Prevention
Global Orphan Prevention is passionate in their mission of orphan prevention through family sustainability in Nepal. They strive to keep vulnerable mothers and children together by providing sustainable solutions to families through education, economic development, maternity and clean birthing programs, animal husbandry, and child trafficking interventions. Website | Email
Go Philanthropic
GoPhilanthropic Foundation collaborates to expand the power and potential that resides at the grassroots, where under-resourced communities are working to gain equal access to education, health, human rights, and opportunities that we are all entitled to. The positive shifts that are required to solve our greatest global imbalances will require us to listen more carefully, trust more deeply, and commit more fully to becoming a better humanity – together. Website
Her Future Coalition
Her Future Coalition combats trafficking in South Asia by providing education, shelter, and holistic support to the highest-risk survivors and girls. Since 2005, Her Future Coalition has worked in rescue shelters, red-light areas, and border villages of India and Nepal, helping over 4,000 women and girls on their journey to freedom and independence. Website | Email
Himalayan Entrepreneur Resources (HER)
HER is an empowerment initiative in Nepal that gives health, safety, and autonomy to marginalized women, so they live free from sexual exploitation and abuse. They accomplish this by:
- Addressing medical crises. Women receive health education and feminine hygiene products.
- Addressing gender-based violence. Women receive trauma-informed education and learn about their legal rights.
- Equipping female entrepreneurs. Women receive business grants, accountability, mentorship, ongoing education, and legal protection.
- Combating trafficking in South Asia by providing education, shelter, and holistic support to highest-risk survivors and girls.
Ho’ola Na Pua (New Life for Our Children)
Ho’ola Na Pua is committed to the prevention of sex trafficking and provides care for youth who have been exploited. The organization works statewide in Hawaii, to transform the system of care to ensure all youth have a bright future. Pearl Haven provides comprehensive residential care for girls who have suffered severe sexual trauma and exploitation. Website | Email | Helpline: (808) 900-8740
Mountain Child
Mountain Child is a non-profit organization that carries out all of its work and projects through the donations of individuals and organizations that wish to become active participants in their efforts to carry hope to the children of the Himalayas. Their research has revealed a number of causes– including those related to health, trafficking, education, child labor, and the environment – that keep the people living in remote Himalayan villages in a cycle of suffering and poverty. Website
Out of Ashes
Out of Ashes works toward ending child prostitution, sexual abuse, and the sale of girls and women, starting with the vulnerable women and children from the untouchable castes of Nepal and India. The work of Out of Ashes consists of both preventative measures for girls as young as five years old from becoming victims, and of saving girls who are already sexually abused and slaves in brothels. The vision is to create safe homes where girls can experience security, love and care, and where help can be provided with long-term education, vocational training, and creating jobs for them when they grow up. Website
Tutapona
This Christ-centered organization provides mental health services – including individual support sessions, group programming, and trauma care – to people affected by armed conflict. Populations affected by war and conflict often endure significant and adverse psychological effects, stemming from witnessing or having direct exposure to acts of physical, sexual and emotional violence. These experiences diminish the capacity of individuals and groups to provide for their own needs and cope with future challenges but through specialized programming, Tutapona aims to equip them with the tools they need to overcome, reach emotional well-being, and have hope for their futures. Website | Email
Films & Videos
10 Ways to Fight Human Trafficking
There are more slaves in the world today than at any other time in history. Modern-day slavery exists and is a growing epidemic in America. Children are being held as sex slaves in neighborhoods everywhere, and individuals are forced to work in unimaginable conditions within cities around the world. The good news is that you have the power to be the change, to take up the call to arms against human trafficking, and to set the captives free! Amanda Foltz takes you on a journey to show you how doing small acts with great love can start a revolution and bring about incredible change. Watch
The Dressember Documentary
Learn more about Dressember-s global movement to end human trafficking and how we can build a better world together. Watch
Nefarious Merchant of Souls
A hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends of modern-day sex slavery. From the first scene, Nefarious gives an in-depth look at the human trafficking industry, showing where slaves are sold (often in developed, affluent countries), where they work, and where they are confined. With footage shot in more than nineteen countries, Nefarious exposes the nightmare of sex slavery as experienced by hundreds of thousands daily, through the eyes of both the enslaved and their traffickers. Nefarious features expert analysis from international humanitarian leaders, and captures the gripping and triumphant testimonies of survivors in order to galvanize hope and vision. Website
No Longer Untouchable
This film short was created in order to share our story with YOU, to give you a glimpse of the WHY of our 7-year global collaboration, and to invite YOU to JOIN US in the fight against human trafficking. In this video, meet Sarah Davison-Tracy and Devisara “Hannah” Badi – friends who have partnered to publish the book, No Longer Untouchable. As part of Nepal’s Badi community, Hannah and her sisters are considered by many the worthless dust of Nepal, the untouchables of the untouchables. Four of Hannah’s sisters and friends were trafficked – lied to, coerced, drugged, kidnapped, and sold to brothels. Their stories are both horrifying and hopeful – as each escapes captivity and rejects her untouchable status. They have overcome unimaginable odds to survive, and today they are bravely fighting to bring freedom, hope, and love into the darkest corners of the world. | Watch
Priceless
Desperately in need of money and in hopes of regaining custody of his daughter, James embarks on a cross-country delivery for cash – no questions asked. When he discovers that he is delivering two young women, the questions in his mind begin haunting him mercilessly. When James finds himself falling for one of the women, he becomes an unlikely hero and must fight to save the innocence and lives of both of the ladies. Trailer | Watch
The Scarlet Cord
This 10-minute short film captures the evocative art of Pamela Alderman. It has brought hundreds of thousands of people into the awareness of the human trafficking issue in America, connecting audiences not only with the cause, but often with one’s own need for healing. This film features the reactions of those who walked through Alderman’s art installation during the 2015 Super Bowl. Through this piece, trafficking and sexual abuse survivors share their stories and reactions with Alderman as they experienced her art. Trailer | Watch (use password: TSC) | Produced by Rochelle Raimão | Email
SOLD
SOLD is a full-length feature film adapted from the award-wining novel by Patricia McCormick. Based on true stories, SOLD is the story of Lakshmi’s journey from a peaceful, rural village in Nepal to the gritty brothels of Kolkata, India. Through one extraordinary girl’s story, SOLD illustrates the brutality of child trafficking, a horrifying crime experienced by an estimated 3 million girls every year around the globe. SOLD is both a call to action, and a testament to the power and resilience of the human spirit. Trailer | Stream
TRICKED
Inside America’s sex trade, who is tricking whom? It’s a $3 billion a year business and our fastest growing criminal industry. Meet the pimps, the johns, the police, the social workers, the parents, and the victims of America’s thriving sex trade in TRICKED, a comprehensive feature documentary. This film explores an industry that is fueled by greed, fantasy and the commercial sexual exploitation of American children and girls. It provides an unflinching view of the world of sex trafficking in America, the almost incomprehensible and disturbing bonds between the traffickers and victims, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges faced by law enforcement nationwide. Created by 3 Generations | Trailer & Watch
Tutapona videos
From Tutapona; “We want to walk beside those who have had to flee due to violence and armed conflict on their journey to emotional recovery. Together, we can be who we were created to be. Though culture and distance may separate us, there is so much more that brings us together. Together, we will be healed.” Watch
Follow the journey of Tutapona as they reach out to refugees in East Africa and the Middle East. Watch the touching stories of amazing individuals as they speak of healing and transformation through their programs. Watch
Daya International videos
An orphan at the age of three, Sangita was among the first of her orphaned sisters to attend college in Kathmandu in 2017. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and wants to help children like herself. Watch
Srijana was orphaned at five when her mother died. She is now teaching phonics to four-and five-year olds while attending college and working toward a career in journalism. Her favorite course of study is mass communication. Without this opportunity, she believes she may have been tending cattle or married without a chance to get an education. Watch
Finding Home
Finding Home is a unique documentary about trafficking, as the stories go far beyond the actual trafficking experiences. Finding Home shows in depth the struggle, growth, and challenges that come with trying to pick a life back up after it has been fragmented. Each of these three young women has a unique story with unique hurdles to overcome. The difficulties and complexities of learning how to deal with life after horrific abuse by slave owners and men looking to exploit sex with underage girls are unpacked in a way that communicates cross-culturally and proves the connectivity in the human spirit. Finding Home reminds us that we are all connected in our humanity; we are all looking for a place of love, acceptance, and community…a place called home. Website | Netflix
Untouchable: Children of God
In the brothels of India, young girls perish every day. Some die quickly from murder or suicide, others from diseases like HIV/AIDS. Thousands of Nepali minors are locked in rooms, where they are beaten, starved, drugged, burned and raped by their captors and countless men who use and abuse them. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, a growing number of abolitionists and social advocates are taking action to help end this brutal form of modern-day slavery. Featuring rare footage from inside the brothels of India and exclusive interviews with survivors and those serving on the front lines, Untouchable: Children of God highlights stories of hope and the heroes risking their lives to rescue and protect these forgotten angels. Trailer | Watch
Books & Music
Battle Cry
A call to arms against human trafficking, this book is a practical application and guide on what YOU can do to join the fight. Learn what human trafficking is, the ways you can fight it, and how to make an action plan. Will you answer the call to arms and join the battle cry? Amazon | Email author
Child Trafficking: The Fight for Freedom
This book is a deep dive into the murky world of child trafficking, peeling the layers that make this crime rampant. Suresh Kumar has had a ringside view of the crime, its perpetrators and survivors. Seamlessly moving from the villages of Bihar to the bylanes of Jaipur, it maps the journey of children from their homes to the non-descript factories that enslave them. Breaking down the nuances of a crime that continues to flourish, this vital book is a must-read. Amazon | Email author
Jumping the Picket Fence: A Woman’s Search for Meaning from the Suburbs to the Slums
Join author Lydia Dean on an inspirational path around the world — into shelters for children across India; through the jungles and back-roads of Costa Rica, Southeast Asia, and Venezuela; and to China where the Deans adopt their third child. Motivated by the simple ideal that small personal actions can make a difference, the family returns to the US where Lydia and a passionate team build a non-profit organization — GoPhilanthropic, supporting vulnerable women and children. Amazon
Light Through the Cracks
With a distinct blend of raw truth and vulnerability, Lydia Dean takes us on an intimate and thought-provoking journey to the frontlines of human trafficking in Nepal and India, the indigenous Mayan communities of Guatemala, Mother Teresa’s Home for the Sick and Dying in Kolkata, and the earthy fields of Provence where she lives. Her awakening forces her to strip herself of the safe identity she hid behind and find strength inside the pain she had been running from. Lydia explores deeply relevant topics of our time — healing, philanthropy, the wisdom within nature and spirituality, and the inner work required of each of us to contribute fully to the world. Amazon
No Longer Untouchable: A Story of Human Trafficking, Heroism, and Hope
No Longer Untouchable: A Story of Human Trafficking, Heroism, and Hope, by Sarah Davison-Tracy, brings you into the appalling reality of modern-day slavery as Devisara Hannah Badi and her sisters tell their stories. They have each overcome unimaginable odds to survive, and today they are bravely fighting to bring freedom, hope, and love into the darkest corners of the world. Amazon
One Person Acted and Everything Changed: 10 Inspiring Accounts of World Changers
One Person Acted and Everything Changed, by Deborah Rohan, is the answer to an important question “Can I change the world?” Our world is chock-full of dire and complex situations; seemingly too large for any one of us to take on — but the stories in this book prove otherwise. No matter your circumstances, you can change this world. Absolutely. Amazon
Standing in the Way: From Trafficking Victim to Human Rights Activist
This compelling memoir shares Anjali’s incredible story of being trafficked at age twelve from her village in Nepal to the red-light areas of Kolkata, India. Despite enduring the worst abuse imaginable, today, Anjali is working to combat trafficking and protect the next generation of girls in her community through her nonprofit Freedom and Hope. Amazon
Untouchable: Children of God (Soundtrack)
From award-winning composer Tim Fain: “I was thrilled to work with filmmaker Grant Knisely on his documentary Untouchable: Children of God to bring the girls’ heart-wrenching stories to life through music. Throughout the process of collaboration with Grant Knisely and the film’s team, I was touched by the girls’ strength and perseverance. It was an experience I will not forget, and I was honored to be able to help in some way.” Listen on Spotify | Amazon | Apple Music
“If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.”
—William Wilberforce, slave trade abolitionist
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
—Desmond Tutu
“Perhaps here people are materially well off, but I think if we looked inside the houses we should find that it is difficult sometimes to smile at each other, even though such a smile might be the beginning of love. For this reason, we always greet each other with a smile, because it is the beginning of love, and when one begins to love it is natural to want to do something.”
—Mother Teresa
“To be compassionate is to have a heart that suffers from the misfortune of others because we think of it as our own. We are truly compassionate when we work to remove the misfortune of others. The love of neighbor requires that not only should we be our neighbor’s well-wishers, but also their well-doers.”
—Thomas Aquinas
“The trouble is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There’s no innocence. Either way, you’re accountable.”
—Arundhati Roy
“I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again. Simple, honest, human conversation … Human conversation is the most ancient and easiest way to cultivate the conditions for change–personal change, community and organizational change, planetary change. If we can sit together and talk about what’s important to us, we begin to come alive.”
—Margaret Wheatley
“Let yourself be drawn by the pull of what you really love.”
—Rumi
“Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.”
—Simon Sinek
“Small things with great, great love. This is compassion. Compassion is not pity. Pity is your pain in my heart. It just sits there. It heals nothing. But compassion. Compassion is your pain in my heart and back out through my hands.”
—Glennon Doyle Melton
Inspired ACTion
Ho’ola Na Pua (New Life for Our Children)
… If you see something, say something.
… Research organizations doing this work in your area and get involved.
… Tell someone you know what you have learned.
Human Trafficking in Ukraine
Head on over to our blog post featuring specific resources on human trafficking in Ukraine during the displacement of people fleeing the current war.
Tutapona
Bash Slavery
US Department of State
Anyone can join in the fight against human trafficking. Here are 20 ideas to consider from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of Persons:
- Learn the indicators of human trafficking on the TIP Office’s website or by taking a training. Human trafficking awareness training is available for individuals, businesses, first responders, law enforcement, educators, and federal employees, among others.
- If you are in the United States and believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking, call the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or report an emergency to law enforcement by calling 911. Trafficking victims, whether or not U.S. citizens, are eligible for services and immigration assistance.
- Be a conscientious and informed consumer. Find out more about who may have picked your tomatoes or made your clothes at ResponsibleSourcingTool.org and check out the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. Encourage companies to take steps to prevent human trafficking in their supply chains and publish the information, including supplier or factory lists, for consumer awareness.
- Volunteer and support anti-trafficking efforts in your community.
- Meet with and/or write to your local, state, and federal elected officials to let them know you care about combating human trafficking and ask what they are doing to address it.
- Be well-informed. Set up a web alert to receive current human trafficking news. Also, check out CNN’s Freedom Project – for more stories on the different forms of human trafficking around the world.
- Host an awareness-raising event to watch and discuss films about human trafficking. For example, learn how modern slavery exists today, watch an investigative documentary about sex trafficking, or discover how forced labor can affect global food supply chains. Alternatively, contact your local library and ask for assistance identifying an appropriate book and ask them to host the event.
- Organize a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to an anti-trafficking organization. [Seeds of Exchange note: Our Seeds Giving Fund often has a focus on human trafficking and human rights. Check it out. Donate and join us!]
- Encourage your local schools or school district to include human trafficking in their curricula and to develop protocols – for identifying and reporting a suspected case of human trafficking or responding to a potential victim.
- Use your social media platforms to raise awareness about human trafficking, using the following hashtags: #endtrafficking, #freedomfirst.
- Think about whether your workplace is trauma-informed and reach out to management or the Human Resources team to urge implementation of trauma-informed business practices.
- Become a mentor to a young person or someone in need. Traffickers often target people who are going through a difficult time or who lack strong support systems. As a mentor, you can be involved in new and positive experiences in that person’s life during a formative time.
- Parents and Caregivers: Learn how human traffickers often target and recruit youth and who to turn to for help in potentially dangerous situations. Host community conversations with parent-teacher associations, law enforcement, schools, and community members regarding safeguarding children in your community.
- Youth: Learn how to recognize traffickers’ recruitment tactics, how to safely navigate out of suspicious or uncomfortable situations, and how to reach out for help at any time.
- Faith-Based Communities: Host awareness events and community forums with anti-trafficking leaders or collectively support a local victim service provider.
- Businesses: Provide jobs, internships, skills training, and other opportunities to trafficking survivors. Take steps to investigate and prevent trafficking in your supply chains by consulting the Responsible Sourcing Tool and Comply Chain – to develop effective management systems to detect, prevent, and combat human trafficking.
- College Students: Take action on your campus. Join or establish a university club to raise awareness about human trafficking and initiate action throughout your local community. Consider doing one of your research papers on a topic concerning human trafficking. Request that human trafficking be included in university curricula.
- Health Care Providers: Learn how to identify the indicators of human trafficking and assist victims. With assistance from local anti-trafficking organizations, extend low-cost or free services to human trafficking victims. Resources from the Department of Health and Human Services can be found on their website.
- Journalists: The media plays an enormous role in shaping perceptions and guiding the public conversation about human trafficking. Seek out media best practices on how to effectively and responsibly report stories on human trafficking.
- Attorneys: Offer human trafficking victims legal services, including support for those seeking benefits or special immigration status. Resources are available for attorneys representing victims of human trafficking.
Take a PoP (Place of Pause)
… practicing peace, together, in daily life.
We are so glad you’ve paused, dear friend, to take a beat and a breath to BE still. Fill up with peace so you can consider what is your part in the human trafficking fight and navigate whatever might be difficult in your life today with strength and courage.
Be Still (surrender)
Yes, pause here.
Especially pause here,
as you explore a global reality
– human trafficking – that is
full of great pain and injustice.
Even here, there is hope.
And, here, there is peace.
Be free of any burden to carry, to worry,
to do anything other than be.
Be, breathe.
Exhale, let go.
Take a few moments to be guided further through a reading and a time to quiet your mind and heart, in which you will hear a story about a beloved and heroic soul sister in Nepal, Devisara Hannah Badi. In this PoP, catch a glimpse of the dignity and courage in life today, even after – and within – unimaginable hardship.
We have a hunch you will be greatly inspired, learn something new, and be ignited to fan the flame of your story when you hear Hannah’s story. Read or Watch this PoP, which is an excerpt from Soulfully Ablaze: A 40-Day Journey to Light Up Your Life (And the World). (Hannah is the activist and lead storyteller in the book, No Longer Untouchable: A Story of Human Trafficking, Heroism, and Hope – if you don’t yet have a copy, grab yours right here.)
Explore more | 40-PoP Playlist on YouTube
Vital Feedback
Share your story & experience of this toolkit with us.
We would be honored and grateful to hear from you.
Would you email us this information so we know where our toolkit is being utilized and how we can make it better?
- What is your favorite element of this toolkit?
- What is one innovation or recommendation you have for us?
- Did a group, school, or organization utilize this toolkit? (If so, what is its name?)
- How many people accessed this toolkit?
- What is the city, state, and country in which you live?
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