Interested in spreading awareness in your community? Did you know there are a variety of human trafficking outreach posters and materials available online for FREE?!  There are many organizations that provide outreach materials at the national, state, and local level; here is a quick link to some of the many resources available.The United States Department of Health and Human Services has the Look Beneath the Surface  campaign. As part of this campaign you can download campaign posters and brochures, contact information for human trafficking coalitions, and order materials from the Rescue & Restore campaign.The Ohio Attorney General’s office also offers human trafficking resources for the public on their website. Listed under “Publications” you can find a human trafficking fact sheet for educators and a small handout on trafficking.
 

Polaris Project based out of Washington D.C. also provides outreach materials for service providers and community members in a variety of languages. These materials provide the national hotline number, information about who victims of trafficking could be, where trafficking occurs, as well as tips on how to publicize the hotline number. Additionally, there are materials that can be purchased as well as links to other sites that have downloadable materials like the Department of Defense Combatting Trafficking in Persons and the Department of Homeland Security. 

Here at End Slavery Cincinnati there are Red Flags & Indicators listed and local outreach cards are available for download on our website to support your efforts to raise awareness in the community. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in other materials or join us on Street Outreach and help us distribute these cards and other goodies locally!

The D’Souza family came to our country to live the American Dream but ended up being forced to work; being trafficked. They were brought to our country by a restaurant owner who promised a better life, but the realities were nothing of the sort. Harold and Dancy D’Souza with their two sons, Bradly and Rohan, were forced to live in a one bedroom apartment and work in a restaurant receiving little or no paychecks to pay off non-existent, never-ending debts until they finally got out of their situation and got help.
 

After they escaped, the D’Souza’s felt exonerated. They are just glad they can provide an awareness of labor trafficking to the community and others in the same situation.
 

“Just a sense of awareness being brought to people who didn’t really know it happened over here and not just overseas, that it happened here. Plus, it was a sense of exoneration to an extent because the feeling is that you are made to feel like a criminal or that you are illegally here, although we were not, but we were made to feel that.”
 

Harold is now working at Children’s Hospital while Dancy focuses mostly on volunteer work and raising Bradly, who is now a student at the University of Cincinnati, class of 2018; and Rohan, who is a sophomore at Sycamore High School. The D’Souza’s are finally living the American Dream they hoped for while helping victims of labor trafficking by speaking out about their experience. Their advice, reach out.
 

 â€œWhen we were in the situation, it took us somebody to point out to us that we were in the situation. You don’t’ realize it because of the cultural differences. Until someone points out to you that this is not the right way to do things. That you should be paid for working. So when you realize you are in a labor trafficking situation, my advice would be to reach out.”
 

The D’Souza’s believe that God gave them freedom and no one should be able to take that away. 
 

To read the entire interview, please visit our blog.