Sex trafficking is a worldwide problem, but thanks to one woman’s efforts in Israel, women and children are finding their freedom once again.
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SO MANY PEOPLE, THEY'RE
UNWILLING TO GO TO THE
PROSTUTOR OR TRAFFICKED
WOMAN BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID
WHAT OF ISSUES ARE.
IT IS KEY THAT "OPERATION
BLESSING" IS PART OF THE
PROJECT.
WORKING WITH ONE OF THE
TOP-NOTCH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL,
HER ORGANIZATION IS THE HOT
LINE, WHERE THE WOMEN COME
TO RITA.
SHE HAS WON SEVERAL AWARDS,
NOT ONLY FROM THE U.S. STATE
DEPARTMENT, BUT FROM THE
PRESIDENT HERE IN ISRAEL.
SHE HAS CHANGED LAWS IN THIS
LAND.
SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH COURT
TO COME AGAINST THE
TRAFFICKERS THAT ARE
BRINGING PEOPLE INTO
ISRAEL.
WHEN YOU'RE TRAFFICKED, ALL
OF YOUR IDENTITY IS STRIPPED
AWAY, SO THAT YOU'RE UNDER
THE CONTROL OF THE
TRAFFICKER.
SO THEY HAVE NO WAY OF
PROVING WHO THEY ACTUALLY
ARE.
THROUGH RITA'S ORGANIZATION,
WITH THE HELP OF "OPERATION
BLESSING," THESE WOMEN ARE
TAKEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF
GETTING BACK THEIR
DOCUMENTATION, AND ACTUALLY
LEGALLY HAVE STATUS, NOT
ONLY WHERE THEY'RE COMING
FROM, BUT THEY COULD HAVE
STATUS IN ISRAEL.
THIS WOMAN HAS HELPED,
AND FROM 2002 UNTIL NOW,
THEY HELPED 1,200 WOMEN, WHO
WERE SMUGGLED THROUGH
EGYPT'S BORDER TO ISRAEL.
IN MANY CASES, THEY'RE A
SINGLE MOTHER, AND THERE ARE
A LOT OF PROBLEMS.
WITHOUT THE HELP OF
"OPERATION BLESSING," I
DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WILL DO.
I CAME TO ISRAEL IN THE
YEAR 2000.
I WAS TAKEN HERE, AND I WAS
TOLD I'M SUPPOSED TO WORK IN
THE SEX INDUSTRY.
I WAS BEATEN MANY TIMES.
ALL OF NI BELONGING MY
BELONGINGS AND ALL OF MY
DOCUMENTS WERE TAKEN AWAY
FROM ME.
UNTIL THE MOMENT I REALIZED
I HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE I
COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED.
I WASN'T KEPT IN THE SAME
PLACE BECAUSE I WAS SOLD AND
BOUGHT BY MANY PEOPLE.
I MOVED FROM ONE PLACE TO
THE OTHER.
I I WAS IN SLAVERY FOR TWO
YEARS.
I WAS VERY CLOSE TO
COMMITTING SUICIDE.
UNTIL THERE APPEARED A
PERSON WHO HELPED ME.
AND THEN I WENT TO THE
POLICE AND THEY PUT ME INTO
THE SHELTER, AND CONVICTED
ME OF TRAFFICKING.
UNTIL THAT PERIOD OF TIME, I
DIDN'T HAVE ANY DOCUMENTS,
NO VISA, NO PASSPORT.
AND I STAYED IN A SHELTER
FOR FOUR YEARS.
AFTER THAT I WAS TOLD THEY
DON'T HAVE ANY POSSIBILITIES
TO KEEP ME LONGER.
AND THEN I MOVED TO THIS
PLACE, AND THEY SUPPORTED
ME.
FOR THE TIME BEING, I'M NOT
A CITIZEN.
I DON'T GET ANY ASSISTANCE
FROM THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN
THOUGH MY CHILDREN ARE
CITIZENS.
THOSE WHO ARE SOLD AND WHO
HAVE HAD THIS, I SUGGEST TO
FIND SOME STRENGTH DEEP DOWN
IN THERE, AND DO NOT LET
OTHERS TO ABUSE THEM ANY
LONGER.
I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST TO
THE WOMEN WHO ESCAPED FROM
THIS SEX SLAVERY TO COME TO
THIS ORGANIZATION AND ASK
FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR
THE SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM,
I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE
HAD THE MEANS TO SURVIVE,
AND TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR MY
CHILDREN, AND TO PAY THE
BILLS AND SO ON.
I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS
ORGANIZATION TO HAVE THIS
PRIVILEGE, AND TO HAVE THEIR
SUPPORT.
I THINK IT IS KEY THAT WE
ARE STANDING HERE.
I THINK IT IS KEY WE ARE THE
ONES STANDING WITH RITA AND
THE TRAFFICKED WOMENMENT
WE'R WOMEN.
WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO GO IN.
BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN
TRAFFICKED THEY COULD LOSE
THEIR CHILDREN, TO THE PLACE
OF OUR SUPPORT, HELPING
THEM, SO THEY CAN EVEN KEEP
THEIR CHILDREN, I THINK IS
SOMETHING BEYOND WORDSMENT
WORDS.