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Top Story: Learn How Children in Our Aftercare Program are Overcoming Trauma
August 2021: Why emotional resilience can change a life
Child survivors of human trafficking have experienced unimaginable trauma, but developing emotional resilience at a young age helps them navigate future challenges in a healthy way.
That’s why our team developed Brave Hearts, Strong Minds— a group program designed to help child survivors develop emotional resiliency skills to manage the aftermath of their trauma.
We’ve been piloting this program in our Child Advocacy Centers, and the feedback has been phenomenal. Children in our care are learning how to manage their emotions, cultivate a healthy response to triggers, and overcome trauma symptoms.
Brave Hearts, Strong Minds (BHSM) is a nine-session, interactive program to help children understand trauma, identify emotions, and learn how to manage their triggers in a fun and engaging group dynamic. Children learn best when they have fun!
With that in mind, BHSM is intended to be delivered in an enthusiastic and engaging manner while being aware of the sensitive nature of topics discussed.
It provides an opportunity for child survivors to talk about complex topics in a relatable and safe environment.
The recommended participant age is 7 - 12 years. However, the program content and delivery may be varied slightly to suit the participant age group.
When you give today, you make healing possible for survivors in our care.
Let's Talk About Our Feelings
One of the key aims of Brave Hearts, Strong Minds is for child survivors of trafficking to develop a healthy understanding of and relationship with their emotions. One of the children's favorite activities is a game that involves different colored balloons. Each balloon color represents a feeling.
For example:
Blue = sad
Red = anger
Yellow = happy
Green = anxious
Pink = calm
Here's how it works:
- Children choose what color balloons represent their feelings.
- They blow up each balloon to represent the intensity of that specific feeling.
- They draw a picture of a face on each balloon to represent how a specific emotion makes them feel.
When children are given language around their feelings, they learn to respond to their emotions in a healthy way without fearing them or pushing them away. This helps prevent and intercept ongoing mental health challenges allowing children to grow up with a healthier response to their trauma.
By giving a donation to A21, you’re ensuring this program continues and more children begin to flourish.
Take a Stand for Child Survivors this October: Show Up & Walk!
August 2021: Join a Walk For Freedom in a City Near You!
Last year you made an impact by participating in the Global Freedom Summit—thank you!
This year, we’re inviting you to take your impact to the next level by registering for Walk For Freedom 2021. By signing up today, you are raising awareness of human trafficking and supporting programs like Brave Hearts, Strong Minds.
Walk For Freedom is our global mobilization event, rallying tens of thousands of people, taking millions of steps, in hundreds of cities all over the world. It’s an outward expression of A21’s inward desire to see slavery abolished everywhere—in our cities, in our communities, and in our world.
Every step helps child survivors experience peace, hope, and freedom.
Sign up to participate in a Walk For Freedom near you, happening October 16.
Join us on July 30, 2021 for A21's Global Broadcast
July 2021: We're going global
On July 30, 2021, join us for a global event that will unpack the complexities of human trafficking, common recruitment methods traffickers use today, and what you can do to stop exploitation in your local community.
When you understand how trafficking happens and how to respond, you too can stop one of the most horrific injustices the world has ever seen. Join thousands of abolitionists on July 30 for the World Day Against Human Trafficking by registering for the A21 Global Broadcast.
What topics will be covered during the broadcast? We’re so glad you asked.
In this one hour training, you’ll learn:
- The complexities of human trafficking and A21’s solution to end it
- Most common recruitment methods used by human traffickers today
- How recruitment happens through our newest film
- How to identify trafficking situations and respond appropriately
- What you can do to fight for freedom and make a difference right where you are
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How one couple’s awareness was the difference between exploitation & freedom—Read Gia’s Story:
April 2021: Gia's Story of Freedom
Halfway through third grade, Gia* was taken out of school to help support her family.
Growing up in an underprivileged home in Cambodia, her family struggled to generate enough income to eat. In Gia’s teenage years, she felt more pressure to support the family financially.
One day, a woman approached her with pictures of big houses, nice cars, and happy families. The woman offered a solution—marry abroad to have a better life and provide for her family.
Gia accepted. But when she arrived abroad, she was locked in a room and stripped of her legal documents. What she thought was a promising future was something very different.
Desperate to help, Gia accepted and packed her bags. But when she arrived abroad, she was locked in a room and stripped of her legal documents. Abused since day one and forced into sexual exploitation, Gia lost hope of ever seeing her family again.
Until one day, a couple noticed she was trapped. The couple was aware of human trafficking and helped Gia escape through an open window. Gia braved the dangerous journey across the border back to Cambodia without legal documents. Upon her return, she was referred to A21’s aftercare program.
Today, Gia is safe, free, and taking steps towards restoration—regaining her strength through counseling, life skills training, and vocational support to restore a life of independence. We’re proud of Gia’s accomplishments and grateful to be part of her journey to freedom.
The couple’s awareness was the difference between exploitation or freedom for Gia.
Will you give today to help us spread awareness and prevention everywhere, forever?
Announcing A21 Latin America
April 2021: A21's newest location
We’re so excited to officially announce our newest location—A21 Latin America!
Human trafficking happens in every country. When deciding where to expand our work, we look for opportunities where our model will have the most impact in the fight against slavery.
We ask ourselves three questions:
- Is there a problem?
- Is there an opportunity?
- Do we have the right person to lead it?
Having the right people in place is essential to creating a sustainable model for impact. And later this month, you’ll meet the manager of A21 Latin America and learn her story.
Our vision for Latin America is to empower our local partners with programs and resources to advance freedom farther and faster than ever before–to expand the work far beyond us.
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Our U.S. Aftercare is Growing!
FEBRUARY 2021: We’re excited to announce that A21 received funding to open a second Freedom Center in the United States!
As we begin planning for this new venture, we look forward to the new avenues of care this center will provide for survivors in our aftercare programs. The center will be based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is expected to open later this year.
The Freedom Center is at the core of A21’s Restore Strategy–it's an independent, community-based model of aftercare.
From holistic healthcare and one-on-one support to job training and life skills, your support gives survivors of human trafficking a fresh start and a hopeful future. Providing a sense of home, a safe place to heal, rediscover hope, and take steps toward restoration and independence.
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