La Crosse students working to bring awareness to human trafficking with film event – WXOW

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – A special film event on Wednesday aims to bring education and awareness to the issue of human trafficking.

Students at the La Crosse Polytechnic School are hosting a showing of the film “Sold” at the Rivoli Theater Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.

The movie, based on the novel by author Patricia McCormick, tells the story of Lakshimi, a young Nepalese girl sold into a brothel in India. The film highlights the issue of human trafficking, especially children.

“Many people think that human trafficking is a personalized crime, something that only affects specific people,” said sophomore Oliver Olson in a statement about the event. “But the truth is that human trafficking not only affects its victims but also the community around them. This topic needs widespread awareness, and the first step to that is education.”

The program on Wednesday starts with a presentation followed by a Q&A session with representatives of Restorative Ink, a locally-based non-profit that provides free, confidential tattoo and branding removal for victims of human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is a topic that is often left in the dark because it's uncomfortable to talk about,” said junior Fiona Wood. “Sometimes we need to be uncomfortable to talk about important topics.”

Admission to the event is free, although any donations go to support Restorative Ink's work in the community.