The Bucks Coalition Against Trafficking (BCAT), a project of NOVA, will hold its quarterly meeting virtually from 6 to 7 p.m. Jan. 24.
Dr. Heather Evans, a licensed social worker and author, will present The Voices of Survivors Project. The presentation features survivors of human trafficking and other forms of violence communicating their experiences through the medium of photography. To register, visit novabucks.org/events. Attendees will receive a Zoom link when they register.
The Voices of Survivors Project originated from a dissertation study conducted to directly highlight the voices of survivors and their experiences, especially after they were separated from the trafficker. There will be a virtual walk-through of the The Voices of Survivors Project photo exhibit and an opportunity to ask Evans questions about the photos. The public is invited to take part in the event to learn more about the experiences of human trafficking survivors through their own photography.
Evans has over 20 years of experience in providing therapy to victims of sexual trauma and sex trafficking. She is the co-founder of Valley Against Sex Trafficking (vast.ngo), in Allentown, and is an adjunct professor at the Global Trauma Recovery Institute at Missio Seminary (https://missio.edu), in Philadelphia. Evans also trains trauma healing caregivers, both nationally and internationally.
According the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking is the “…use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor” either commercial or sex work. The United Nations reports that human trafficking is an $8 billion to $10 billion industry. In the U.S., the Urban Institute estimates that money made in the commercial sex trade in several major U.S. cities ranges from $39 to $290 million annually.
Most victims of human trafficking are females, both adults and those under the age of 18. Boys, men, and gender minorities can become victims of human trafficking, as well. What these facts don’t tell is the toll borne by the victims, many of whom are physically and sexually abused, not allowed access to money or identification documents and lacking knowledge about their whereabouts.
“There is hope that it is possible to see beauty even in the midst of the horrific things that have happened. If we can see beauty, then we can communicate beauty, because pictures are a form of communication. Then if we communicate beauty, that creates hope and hope then gives us the ability to take another step into the future,” said Grace, a participant in The Voices of Survivors Project.
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