Ohio Raising Awareness for Human Trafficking Close To Home
Reporting Done By Alex Lomicka and Karen Scott
What is human trafficking?
Human trafficking, according to the Polaris is defined as “a form of modern slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others.”
Polaris, according to the organization’s website was “named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S.” Polaris works with “government leaders to protect victims’ rights, to building partnerships with the world’s leading technology corporations, we spark long-term change that focuses communities on identifying, reporting and eliminating trafficking networks.”
Ohio, the fourth largest trafficking hub, according to the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission, and our state is making efforts to change that.
Katy Yanda, a student at Bowling Green University raising awareness said that efforts to raise awareness in her area have been someone successful.
According to Yanda, “Toledo is the fourth largest hub and it used to be the third when I started at Bowling Green just two years ago.”
Raising Awareness in Ohio
Yanda is currently participating in the One Grey Dress Project, a challenge to wear the same dress for a designated period of time to help raise human and sex trafficking awareness. The project was started by a Bowling Green resident.
According to the One Grey Dress Project site, “We are raising money to donate to three separate organizations. This year, participants have the choice of donating their fundraised money to The Daughter Project, The Circle of Sisterhood, or the Aruna Project.”
What are these organizations doing in their own words?
The Daughter Project: “We provide holistic healing services in an extremely safe, home-like environment to girls/women who have been freed from sex traffickers at no cost to them or their families. The services include; abuse & addiction counseling, family/friend restoration, health & nutrition education, medical/dental/vision care, legal counsel and spiritual mentorship.”
The Circle Of Sisterhood: “We’re a non-profit organization founded and powered by sorority women on a mission to raise financial resources to help remove education barriers for girls and women facing poverty and oppression.”
The Aruna Project: The Aruna Project brings and sustains freedom to the enslaved in brothel systems through employment marked by holistic care. Free. Empower. Employ.”
The woman who started the organization donated the money that she would’ve spend on clothes to sex trafficking organizations at the projects start, according to Yanda.
According to Yanda, “I think people see us wearing something and standing together [on campus] shows people it’s actually a problem.”
Jan Apisa, Human Trafficking Program Coordinator for the Victim Assistance Program, based out of Akron, said raising awareness is just as simple as talking about it and conducting research.
According to Apisa, “We did a research study to help identify the problems to see if there was commercial trafficking as well on the internet.”
Laws are now in place in Ohio and are being put into effect to help stop trafficking.
According to Apisa, “It’s not black or white, it’s a grey area because there wasn’t any requirement for
reporting now there are new laws that have been passed and we’re finding out more about it. As we find out more about it we’re going to find more cases.”
The Victim Assistance Program offers many job, internship, and volunteer opportunities. It offers services such as a 24 hour hotline, crisis intervention, court advocacy, trauma therapy, and community outreach.
