I want to introduce myself as an author, speaker, and activist, working on raising awareness and educating our communities about the dangers of Human trafficking. I am a victim of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
A little boy found a wounded parrot, on the side of the road. He brought it home, put it in a cage, and took care of it. Parrot survived, but It lost one eye and was able to see only from one side. Marly, the parrot was very bright that It learned to speak, and each morning It cried out to all the family members by their names until they responded. Marly also knew how to unhook the latch and come out of the cage. It went around the cage while hanging on to the cables. Since the bird could see only from one eye, all Marly could see was the cables around and was unaware if It was outside or inside the cage, so Marly didn’t fly away. One day, while hanging outside the cage, the bird had lost its grip and had flown away. The family tried to find Marly. They heard It calling out their names far away in the woods but was unable to get to Marly. A few days later, the calling stopped, and they were unaware whether Marly survived in the wild or if It died. The little boy in this story was my husband, and when he told me this story, I felt connected to this bird, and it felt as if it was my story, the story of my experience.
When I escaped my physical prison, just like that wounded bird, all I saw was the barriers around me. I didn’t feel free because I had other prisons to break out from mental, spiritual, and political. Blindly, I held onto the wires outside my cage, until I flew out, into the unknown, to this country with my broken wings, looking for freedom, to build a new home. For many long years, I stayed lost to the world. I believed it was my fault, and I was to blame for what had happened to me, so I hid in shame. Here in this land, among strangers, I learned to live again. I experienced the meaning of freedom. The compassion and the love I received in this land, gave me the strength to come out of my hiding. You accepted me, without throwing stones, tended to my wounds. You reached out to me, taught me to live through my pain, and to be proud of myself. You showed me it was okay to make mistakes and to live my life without fear. You told me it was my right, and that it didn’t matter where I come from, what language I spoke, or what they did to me. So here I am, flapping my new wings, trying to make things right by giving back what I learned from you to help you understand and make you aware of why we have to continue to support our brothers and sisters from this evil trade of slavery. Give them what you gave me, help them to escape from their prisons, be their voice, take their hands, and guide them to stand on their feet again. Be the inspiration!
I invite you to join me in my journey of healing through love and forgiveness. My goal is to inspire you to reach for the starts, believe in your dreams, and believe in yourself!
No matter what your concerns are, feeling lost, sad, afraid, or in pain, physically or emotionally, let’s come together and find the courage to face our fears through our spirit!