That was when I was informed that my friend recruited me as a prostitute to pay off a long term debt…

My name is Vanessa and I am a single mother of one child living in Thika, Kiambu. After being in an abusive relationship, I chose to walk out and start a new life with my son. It wasn't an easy journey. Soon, I was depending on well-wishers and my family for basic need support.

A longtime friend reached out via Facebook to offer me a job as a domestic worker in India. This was my chance to get financial freedom, so I prepared my documents and flew to India. I arrived safely and my employer welcomed me into her house. That was when I was informed that my friend recruited me as a prostitute to pay off a long term debt of USD 4000 with the employer. I cried everyday, not believing that a close friend whom I trusted so much sold me out. I had no chance of escaping.

The conditions and the work were horrible and one day I threw myself off a second floor window to seek my freedom. I got injured and well wishers drove me to the hospital. I reported the ordeal to the police and a court case was opened. The police eventually allowed me to travel back to Kenya. A referral organization shared my case with HAART Kenya who immediately invited me into their reintegration program.

HAART Kenya first engaged me in psychosocial support so that I could heal from my trauma. They later assisted me with basic needs provision, medical support, education support for my son and business start-up support. With the support of HAART, I started a second hand cloth selling business. I was able to restore my life, become fully independent and support my family. I felt so much stronger and started being happy again.

My business operated well before COVID-19 entered Kenya. The business collapsed before the country went into partial lockdown, forcing me to sell most of the clothes at a loss to get the investment money back. I have been doing casual jobs to sustain my family. Life has changed since the business closed down and we have to depend on HAART Kenya for basic needs support. I keep my faith strong to help me through this challenging time

Survivors of human trafficking need your help now! Due to the effects of COVID-19, most of the survivors in HAART's program have lost their income. Please help us raise USD 50,000 to carry 100 survivors and their families through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let them have a future. Donate now on haartkenya.org/donate Paybill Number is 823258 (Account Number: Your Name) Your impact will be DOUBLED by The Freedom Fund: Any donation to the campaign will be matched 100 percent! Thank you for making a difference!

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