Human trafficking: Voices and stories of hope and healing

By Federico Piana

Voices, stories, and testimonies to try to erase human trafficking from the face of the Earth were shared the afternoon of 6 February during the event entitled 'Appeal for Hope and Healing,' organized by the associations promoting the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. The phenomenon affects millions of people worldwide, especially women and children, and will be observed on February 8th.

Working together

At the Giovanni Paolo II auditorium of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Sister Abby Avelino, international coordinator of Talitha Kum – the international network of consecrated life against human trafficking – opened the meeting by emphasizing the importance of collaboration to fight those who exploit the lives of others, causing suffering and death: “Without networking among various NGOs, associations, and congregations, we would be unable to do our work. And together, we must help the survivors, remembering that one in three victims is a minor, while the number of women involved remains extremely high.”

Fighting invisible networks

“Human trafficking disfigures human dignity and brings suffering and oppression,” Cardinal Michael Czerny underscored. In his greeting message, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development explained that those who commit such harmful crimes are part of networks that "are invisible: to fight them, we must be able to recognize these forms of slavery and be able to rehabilitate the victims. I truly bless from the heart all those who follow this path that leads to good."

The Story of Rebirth

Interspersed with a performance by some students from the Bakhita Socio-Educational Center in Foggia – who presented a scene from the life of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese woman who became an Italian citizen and was kidnapped as a child by Arab slave traders and abused – moving songs performed by Gen Verde and the Choir of Angels of Rome, and the narrative dance of Daniela Kraus, the event reached its expressive peak with testimonies from several victims who survived the violence.

Pauline: "Now I am truly free"

"Fourteen years ago, I was sexually abused and my father beat me," says Pauline, a girl from Kenya. "I was reborn five years ago thanks to the support of the Talitha Kum sisters, and now, together with them, I dedicate myself to helping other women who need to be saved. Being part of this solidarity network means being truly free."

Another girl, of Colombian origin, touched the hearts of the audience when she admitted, "I am a survivor who feels overwhelmed but not defeated. After the abuse I suffered, I was forced to sell my body on the streets of New York, but now I have reclaimed my life, despite the suffering." From that moment on, she decided to fight not only against human trafficking but also to support all victims of abuse and violence.

Whoopi Goldberg: "The Sisters Are on the Front Line: An Extraordinary Source of Strength"

A touching video message from award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, now a hope ambassador for Talitha Kum, was also shared. In it, she highlighted how human trafficking affects over 30 million people worldwide, 12 million of whom are children. "All of this – she said – is outrageous. The sisters oppose all of this and are an extraordinary source of strength."