HUMAN TRAFFICKING
STOP
The Marcela Loaiza Foundation is committed to educating and raising awareness for the prevention of human trafficking and helping victims/survivors
What is Trafficking in Persons?
According to the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC), "Trafficking in Persons is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons. By means of threat, use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, but not limited to, prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."
BREAKING THE
SILENCE
From left to right: Marcela Loaiza, Ima Matul, Holly Smith, Marcela Pastore, Norma Batidas, Shamere McKenzie, Evelyn Chumbow, Elizabeth Jacobs, and Rani Hong. The picture was taken July 30th in Cali, Colombia, during the conference "Breaking the Silence," a project executed by the Marcela Loaiza Foundation which brought together international advocates and survivors to speak about heartfelt experiences for World Day Againts Trafficking in Persons.
​You can make a huge difference by just talking and educating our youth about the dangers of human traffickers. The Foundation hopes to spread the information needed to educate our youth and raise awareness, so they know when they are being approached and solicited by a trafficker and prevent them from becoming a victim. This worldwide problem is all around us. We must take proactive steps in order to protect our children and young adults. These traffickers are sneaky, relentless, and full of empty promises to try and coax our children and young adults into going with them into a nightmare.
We also want to help survivors with their needs. As Marcela learned quickly, there really is no where to turn for help, especially if you are somewhere other than the United States. If you are lucky enough to make it back to your country, you have very limited, to no resources to try and get back on your feet, find a job and deal with all of the emotional and psychological issues. If you happen to know anyone who is a survivor and is in need of help, please refer them to us.
Support the fight against human trafficking
There is no better way to bring about awareness than by utilizing art in order to express and convey the reality of modern day slavery, trafficking in persons. This display of 13 mannequins potrays the silence of the thousands of victims who are afraid to speak up with a message printed on each one from a real survivor, the gamble on a better life by the roulette wheel, and eventually becoming a victim to a trafficker represented by the center mannequin who has all of the victims chained up and under their control. This exhibition is being set up in major cities in Colombia and hopefully soon in in the U.S.
AWARENESS
PROJECTS
We have many ideas and projects in the works while working with governmental, police, UNODC and other organizations to help educate and raise awareness for prevention, improving programs and developing new ones to fight this worldwide problem, and to change the way survivors are treated, what aid is available, and programs to help them.
CONTACT US
Please fill out the form with any questions or comments you may have or if you are a victim/survivor in need. Your information is always confidential.
Thank You
