A young girl was discovered living in every parent’s worst nightmare.

Screams.

A thrown pot.

Uncontrollable cries intermingled with anguish and the anger of the woman next door.

The continuous cycle of abuse became too much for a neighboring home to bear.

Knowing that a team in the area was worth trusting, they called in a report.

A young girl was discovered living in every parent’s worst nightmare.

Abducted from her village in West Africa, this young girl was snatched from a field by a woman to be exploited as a domestic servant inside her home.

A picture of modern-day slavery, domestic servants are seen as property to those who control them. Piled with demands to serve the household in any way their abuser sees fit, they are burdened with expectations that are often unfeasible to manage. Dehumanized and mistreated servants often experience neglect, abuse, and severe punishments.

This girl was no exception. When she was unable to perform the tasks given to her at the speed or degree the woman expected, she was seared by boiling water. Poured on her in various places, this water melted her skin leaving her in anguish that no child should ever experience. Scars that will forever be a reminder of the true evil in this world.

Now that she has been taken by our team and given the extent of medical care that is available in her country, we are left with the question – How can this happen?

The answer is the true understanding that human trafficking is not a problem run by a specific group or country, but a problem that sees humans as a commodity, as property, easily manipulated and used to reap whatever benefits predators see fit.

The predator in this situation, a woman who took advantage of the innocence and obedience of a child. She knew that if she isolated and abused a young girl enough, she would do exactly as she was told.

Currently, there are thousands of cases that resemble her story. As our team continues to deliver on every case that we encounter we hold onto every hope that our efforts will be enough.

We must all ask ourselves – What are we willing to do to ensure that children around the world are not stuck living life as anything more than worthless property? How can we partner to bring hope, stand in the gap, and know that the right teams are fighting for their freedom, their safety, and their true value?