Understanding and Awareness

Just outside of Kampala, Uganda, Justine lived in extreme poverty, with few options for the future. One day, a man came to her neighborhood and offered her a well-paying job in another country. This felt like a dream come true for Justine as she finally had a good opportunity for a better life. In her excitement, she told her pastor, Fred, about this job offer and asked him to pray for her as she prepared to go.

On the same day that Justine picked up her passport, Pastor Fred attended a HOPE61 ENGAGE training at a local church and learned about human trafficking prevention. He learned that a good job offer in a foreign country is one of the scams human traffickers use to lure their victims into trafficking. Fred immediately thought of Justine and wondered if her situation could be linked to human trafficking.

After the training, Fred explained to Justine what he had learned, and together, they investigated the job offer. They found no information about the organization and realized that this was not a legitimate opportunity. Justine was on the brink of becoming a victim of human trafficking. Pastor Fred and Justine thank God for the HOPE61 training that was held in their community.

Today, Justine is thriving and thanking God that she is safe. She learned to sew and now makes beautiful dresses and sells them in the local market. She also teaches others how to sew so that they can support themselves. In her free time, she shares with everyone she meets about the dangers of human trafficking and the bondage to sin that only Jesus can free them from. She continues to tell everyone she meets about Jesus and invites new people to attend church with her in the village. Her smile lights up the room, and she is a living testimony to the power the local church has to prevent human trafficking!