TGIF?

Depends. Friday marks the end of our ASB: Human Trafficking trip, but waking up this morning, we were not expecting the wrap up that we got.

BAM!

The first organization we met with today is not exactly what you would call conventional. HIPS takes a more open approach to improving the lives of sex workers, trafficked or not. With their harm-reduction model, they believe in putting the person first and meeting them where they are in their lives. The first thing we should mention is JD: peer outreach coordinator and our host. She was something else. After giving us the low-down on HIPS, having us paint a few rooms, and pick up trash and dog crap, she proceeded to give us our HIPS thank you gift: “the sex talk” on safe sex with Woody, Bam, and Judy. Needless to say, that and a bag full of condoms were not exactly what we were expecting. But even this thank you was true to the HIPS spirit.

Multi-tasker much?

After we got back, we met with Dr. Bletcher: rabbi, psycho-therapist, expert witness, and gay-activist. He detailed his experiences testifying as an expert witness in psychology, at trials involving unjustly persecuted immigrants. He gave specific examples of foreign immigrants abused by the current legal system to express the need for change. Dr. Bletcher dove into the effects ,possible causes, and remedies of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) as it relates to trafficking victims such as child soldiers, forced domestic laborers, and children exploited for sex. Through his insight there was an eerie feeling that the legal system is not practicing “innocent until proven guilty” but instead “guilty until proven innocent”.

Power to the FOOD

Then it was dinner time and no other restaurant could have fit into the end of our anti-human trafficking trip better than Bus Boys and Poets. The delicious food was only one of the perks. There was an atmosphere of change and empowerment and, of course, their dedication to fair trade fit perfectly into the anti-human trafficking movement.

“It was perfect!”

Our last reflection – a bitter sweet moment. It’s difficult for us to put this into words. It was a crazy, emotional moment and the next few lines can’t do this moment justice.., but we’ll try. While all of our other reflections focused on what’ve been learning about human trafficking, this reflection was about us.

-“Reach Out and Touch Someone…” – Through this activity we shared who made us laugh, who challenged us, who inspired us, and who we believed in and all this without words.

-“The String Connection” – We said what we thought, what we wouldn’t have shared otherwise, but what we were glad to put out in the open. Passing around the string, we said what that person meant to us, how we felt and what we would come away with from this experience because of them. This is the point where most of us started tearing up because we have all become so close this week. But so that we don’t forget this, we turned the string from our “web” into bracelets – our snapshots of this moment.

-Final Thoughts – We shared anything that we wanted to say. What we had expected at the beginning of this trip, how our outlooks have changed, etc. Although our trip centered around a specific topic, we came away with a lot more than just learning about human trafficking.

M&M

After our emotionally-drenching reflection, it would only make sense to crush the rest of our ice cream supply. When we were finished with our exhausting task, we tried to steer clear of another emotional rollercoaster, because we still had to finish writing some thank you cards, but even this task would not be complete without some more inside jokes.

So to close, we would like to thank:

-Project to End Human Trafficking

-US Department of Health and Human Services (Program Specialist in the Trafficking in Persons Program)

-DASH

-Boat People SOS

-Gaithersburg high school (Officers Jesse and Laura)

-Fairfund

-Free the Slaves

- Stop Modern day Slavery

-Shared Hope International

-Courtney’s House

-HIPS

-Dr.Bletcher

-Mara and Barbara – For making this trip awesome from start to finish!

-Christine – The only way we can say thanks: we love you!

And we cordially invite you to the M&M wedding… jk!

-Miguel and Sonaly