Fundraiser seeks to raise awareness of sex, human trafficking

A group of local volunteers are battling to promote awareness about modern-day slavery and end human trafficking. To facilitate that mission, the Freedom Warriors seek to raise at least $40,000 at the Second Annual Top Golf Fundraiser.

“These are moms, dads, daughters, sons, friends and neighbors who advocate for children — their own children and other people's children. This amazing group of women and men have come together to eradicate human trafficking and I am very blessed and lucky to have met them,” said Maria Cochran, who co-founded Freedom Warriors in 2020.

The nonprofit stemmed from a Cochran family trip to Cincinnati, where a visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center changed the course of the future for the family that lives in Oro Valley and co-owns several businesses citywide, including European Wax Centers and SPENGA Tucson, a spin, strength and yoga fitness concept.

“We knew we would learn about the history of slavery, but toward the end there was a section about modern day slavery and it was something we hadn't really expected to encounter. We read the statistics about modern day slavery and human trafficking and the stories about children being trafficked and we were just overwhelmed by feelings of dread and anxiety,” said Cochran.

The family was galvanized into action. Cochran said they want to combat “ignorance” about grim estimates by the International Labour Organization saying 25 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery worldwide. Of these, 16 million are exploited for labor; 4.8 million are sexually exploited, and 4.1 million are forced into state-imposed labor.

Cochran was equally horrified by the statistics surrounding children: She said that every two minutes, a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation and human trafficking, and the average age for a teen to enter the sex trade in the United States is 12 to 14. Additionally, one in three teens on the street will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

“When you dig into the statistics, you find that these things are happening in our country, not just in third world countries. It is not in the news and it is not only happening far away. The United Sates is one of the leading countries in human and child trafficking and we feel it is important to begin having conversations about this. If we know it is happening, we can do something about it,” said Cochran.

Her research has helped to identify other organizations with complementary missions, such as Rancho Milagro Foundation, which provides equine therapy to facilitate healing for survivors of modern-day slavery. Proceeds from the 2022 Freedom Warriors Fundraiser resulted in a partnership between the nonprofits that provided a year of care for three horses and equine therapy for a minimum of 21 victims throughout the year.

Freedom Warriors is also expanding local partnerships to include Power Over Predators, a nonprofit that has designed an educational curriculum to help children and adults recognize and prevent potential abuse online and in person. The curriculum also equips and empowers people with skills to prepare, intervene, and protect from victimization. It is implemented in local schools, churches and other organizations and has been presented to more than 70,000 local children since 2015.

“Every time it is presented, a child comes forward to disclose abuse, whether at home or within a relationship or with someone online,” said Lisa Hansen, CEO and founder of the organization.

A survivor of child sex trafficking herself, Hansen emphasized that abuse can take many different forms and many children are unaware that their situations qualify as sex trafficking.

“These kinds of things happen to kids and they just go to school everyday. If a person is trying to survive, it is not something they talk about or want people to know about. Since no one talks about it, it becomes the ‘normal' for these kids.” said Hansen.

To counter the lack of education and understanding about abuse that often leads people to look for the wrong signs, Hansen said it is vital to provide clear definitions about predatory behavior.

“Prevention is intended to stop something before it starts, and to stop trafficking we must start with prevention. If we teach kids the signs of predators, they are able to see when behavior is predatory, and that is why our approach is working,” said Hansen.

Ultimately, Cochran hopes that Tucsonans will come out to Top Golf on July 30 to help support the Freedom Warriors in their efforts to eradicate human trafficking and assist survivors in healing.

“We choose the dates for our events with intent. July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. For us, it is significant that we are doing our part in this giant world. Tucson may be a small part of the world, but we want to send a message that we are here and we are fighting with the rest of the world against this evil,” said Cochran.

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Contact freelance writer Loni Nannini at [email protected]