It is gut-wrenching to hear survivor narratives on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. But it is awe-inspiring to hear survivor stories on FREEDOM…
What does it Mean to be Free?
Freedom is an empowering word. Many across the globe know this word but have never lived it. For example, people who are trapped in Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. They are not free, they don’t dare dream of freedom. Those who are lucky enough to escape the gloom and doom of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking are what many people call “The Free.” Freedom is a word that can easily be misleading. While they may be free from illegal captivity, they may not yet be free from the trauma and mental health issues that come with that. Also, they may be captive to the demons of poor self-worth, indecisiveness, and deep-rooted fears.
However today we want to focus on those that are now “Free” from captivity (survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking who are part of The Freedom Hub) and the hopes they can now dare to have. So we would share first-hand what life is like now that they are living autonomous and empowered lives.
When asked about what freedom means, a female survivor of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking once said,
“Freedom means I can live freely…” While another said, “Freedom means I can be me.”
These statements are short, yet profound and awe-inspiring. And what is wonderful is that survivor narratives post-entrapment of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking are even more heartfelt and profound.
What are their Hopes for the Future?
Survivors who attend The Freedom Hub’s Survivor School were asked to share about what their hopes are for the next five to ten years, how The Freedom Hub has helped them and what would they say to anyone who was thinking about enrolling at the Survivor School and their answers were too good to not share.
Below are the responses we got from some of our survivors:
“I would like to work as a registered nurse for the next five to ten years. I am hopeful that I will become a registered nurse because I have been encouraged to do so by the team at The Freedom Hub. They believe in me. And will always believe in me. Before I moved to Sydney, Australia, I did not have a good social circle. I did not have people who believed in me. The Freedom Hub has instilled in me hope. They have helped me a great deal. And to anyone who is thinking about enrolling at the Survivor School, I’d say, enrol as soon as you can. It has been amazing for me…”
“Five to ten years from now I see myself running my own company. Also I see myself travelling and helping those who are in need like I once was…I am an independent woman. So I will be an empowered entrepreneur. I did not think that I would have the courage to say what I just said but when I think of it now, I say “why not?”
I owe it all to the team at The Freedom Hub. They have helped me so much. I came to Sydney, Australia with nothing. And now, I have a lot and that is something money cannot buy which are people who care about me, people who want to help me succeed and people who want me to love myself. Many thanks to The Freedom Hub and all they continue to do for me. I will not think twice about recommending The Freedom Hub to others as I know it can be life-changing for them as it was for me…”
“My dream is that I would like to work in childcare in the next five to ten years. I am confident that I will get a good job in childcare because The Freedom Hub has helped me to gain the skills I need for a good job. The people at The Freedom Hub have been so supportive of me and all that I do. Once I was my biggest critique. Also I was once shy and lonely and had a low self-esteem, but all this changed when I started studying at The Freedom Hub. I began meeting new people and making friends with good people and this has changed my life. To those who are considering to be part of The Freedom Hub family, I’d say there is no greater support network than them so good choice!”
Being Free is Life Transforming
Above are few of many optimistic and empowering ‘Now That I Am Free’ survivor narratives. This goes on to tell us that freedom means a lot to many, especially to those who did not have it before.
As we are nearing the end of The 16 Days of Freedom Campaign, the friendly team at The Freedom Hub would like to say that they are proud to know such beautiful and resilient survivors of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking and wish them the best that life has to offer.
Written by: Pareena (TFH Intern)
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ABOUT 16 DAYS OF FREEDOM
Thank you for your part in this 16 Days of Freedom. We cannot change culture without awareness so please share this post with your friends.
16 Days of Freedom is a campaign we are running to align with the UN awareness campaign United Nations’ UNiTE campaign on gender violence against women and girls. As a result we are focussing on abuse of women and girls through the lens of modern slavery.
So for 16 days we have posted a story to highlight the issue.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ OUR BLOG (Please review it or share it with others).
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Other blogs you might enjoy:
What Freedom Means to a Slavery Survivor
Inside the Mind of a Slavery Survivor