Maddie’s story
*Trigger Warning: The following is a true story of a survivor of human trafficking. This story includes sensitive language surrounding sexual assault. Please consider this before reading further.
At times in her childhood, Maddie* experienced homelessness. Poverty and the lack of caring adults in her life made her vulnerable, and her sexual exploitation began at a young age. This included a sickening cyber-porn operation in which she was exploited in front of a webcam. Maddie came to Love146 at age 11, where she received trauma-informed counselling, individualized care, and was able to explore lots activities that interested her, including gardening, caring for farm animals, and sports.
Today, she loves swimming, wearing comfy sweatshirts, and spending time with friends. She’s great at math and looks forward to using her skills as a professional.
“It’s my dream to become an accountant when I grow up,” she said. “Sometimes I find it hard to understand my teacher’s lectures and answer the exams but I always tell myself, ‘I can make it because a lot of people love and believe in me.’”
Recent milestones for Maddie have included visiting her grandmother for the first time in years, getting her first pair of eyeglasses, and being picked to represent her school in a science contest.
*Name has been changed
We partner with Love146 to make sure that girls like Maddie can achieve their dreams of becoming an accountant. Find out more about the work of Love146 here and join us this Dressember as we pledge to raise $3 million dollars to aid the fight to end modern slavery!
