Human Trafficking Problem

 

Human Trafficking – commonly called the Sex Slave Trade, is a problem world wide so much that it has effects surrounding Edmonds Community College students and faculty. There are people out there that cannot believe that something such as Human Trafficking can happen in the cities and suburbs of the United States. Unfortunately, it does and it destroys lives of all who are involved directly or indirectly.

            This topic is a very serious issue among young people who tend to travel, and now it is a serious issue at home too. We need to create awareness in our community about Human Trafficking to help prevent it from happening, no matter where it can take place.

            Human Trafficking is a crime and should be treated as one; it can not be taken lightly or as a joke. The more we learn about it then hopefully we as a society can stop this brutality that happens to people in the future. There are organizations such as Compassion 2 One that help with victims and their families, they even have a certified training program, where they develop Community Leaders who will be out there helping spot what to look for. Snohomish County has a hotline which people anonymously can call in and report on possible Human Trafficking Victims including Sex Trafficking, Forced Labour, and Domestic Servitude.

            Danyelle Leggett, who was the Study Abroad Programmer with the International Student Services at Edmonds Community College until the Fall 2013 quarter, leaving for other exciting adventures. Danyelle was very informative in her responses to questions from an interview about Human Trafficking.  She was welcomed when it came to being interviewed about the subject, I met Danyelle a couple of quarters ago, when I was looking into doing a Study Abroad program, traveling is a great experience and everyone should be able to do it, when they can.  Human Trafficking has just lately come out to more of the public eye with movies such as “Not Today” which is a new movie just out in theatres’, and National Magazine’s like “Time”.

Arriving at the ISS office for on the Edmonds Community College, for the interview with Danyelle. She asked at first how I was doing, in which I replied I was doing good, then returned the favour. She grabbed a chair and moved to the front of her desk as I sat down with her on the other side of her well organized desk. The first question that was asked of her was “What do you think is a major factor in Human Trafficking?”,

Danyelle was very supportive of the question with her response by replying “It is a huge money industry,” and then she added that she thinks that it is number two in the world, “Everyone loves sex, and they will do what they can to have it, huge money market. I think the US has become part of it, because we are a central area, and a lot of Americans are wealthy, can go and do that kind of thing.”

From her side of the desk, She was relaxed at what I was asking her to discuss, I mentioned to her that most of the questions were based around what she does as the Student Study Abroad Programmer, and she was okayed with that form of questioning. The second question that I had asked was the first of the Study Abroad questions, If a student approached you about the problems of human trafficking, before they left for a study abroad program, What would you suggest to do?. Danyelle suggest to all students to be on guard which is a big thing no matter what race you are or  how old you are , no matter what country you go to, if you go to Italy or go to south Africa there will be Human Trafficking every where.

Danyelle was talking about being from Whidbey Island and how there is human trafficking happening in Oak Harbour. We talked a little more about what I heard on the radio about human trafficking. She added about bringing  people from other countries to the US and put them in a barbershop to work  and they can’t speak any English so they  just go with the flow, because they don’t know any better, that is another version of Human Trafficking, they don’t know any better , they can’t go to the police.

We continued talking, discussing more Organizations that help people that have been effected by Human Trafficking, such as The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle International Foundation and Global Washington.  Danyelle continued on answering the questions that I put before her. The third question I asked I think was an important one “ Why do you think there are so many people still in the dark about Human Trafficking, and why is it still believed to be an overseas problem?”

She replied with a really good response, “We are so consumed by the drug industry, guns and violence that we kind of  , it is one of those things that is so secretive about, not to many people know about  until you take a class on it or talk to some one that is educated about it. It is also something that you don’t want to know about, you don’t want to hear about six year old girls getting kidnapped and raped and that thing.

Danyelle continued with saying that there are a lot of fund raisers that help get Human Trafficking into the public eye. Danyelle also mentioned a 5k/10k run in Shoreline for Human Trafficking Awareness, even for our own awareness.  I was glad that I interviewed her, she was a great source of knowledge and she gave me another person to talk to. I had asked her four more question for this interview, but for space and time, and to get another source in here and I have to omit them. As I said Danyelle was very informative and knowledgeable on the subject of Human Trafficking.

Chances arose  to talk with just average people that were walking around campus and asked them a few questions on Human Trafficking. I asked Cheryl Webb what was her thoughts and perspective on Human Trafficking, and I had also asked Jennifer Ormbrek the same question, their responses where very enlightening and thought provoking.

Jennifer seemed to have a good sense about the subject, she thinks of it when her niece who she takes care of, travels for her music program in high school. Jennifer has had concerns for the young high school girls and guys who want to travel outside of their area, even though it does happen close to home. She has talked to her teenager about it and to make sure that her niece is aware of the hazards. Jennifer wants to keep her children safe as they grow up and travel or even hang in their home town area.

Cheryl Webb had a few things to say on the subject, from what she had heard on the news or in paper. She wasn’t to shocked to hear that it does happen in the United States, especially Seattle. I asked her “If she had young children still, what would be her concern for them”. She told me that her children would go to unfamiliar places with family and never be left alone with strangers. Cheryl mentioned that luckily her children are all older adults, and that most of the people that are taken to be sex slaves or other things are usually younger people. She left me with one more thing and that is Traveling is a good life experience and you should not be afraid to do it, just because the Human Trafficking horror exist, so go and learn, be free and enjoy life.