My husband Kaio and I left Brazil last May to live as nomads, moving to a different country every three months. Mexico wasn't our first choice, but we felt we should start here. Kaio already knew about Pozo de Vida (an NGO combating human trafficking here in Mexico), so we decided to volunteer during our time here. On the fourth day in Mexico City, we went with Pozo's team to a red-light district to visit women in prostitution. It was June 6th, the one-year anniversary of my mother's death, and I was very sad. I questioned God why we had to visit a red-light district on this particular day, but I decided to go. During the journey, we received instructions on what to do and what to avoid. One important thing to avoid was talking to the zone's madam, Lolita. Since I didn't speak Spanish or English and certainly didn't want to interact with the madam on my first time in such a place, I tuned out the instructions and began to pray. Suddenly, I felt an inexplicable joy, my heart filled with radiant colors. Upon arriving, I had an incredible moment with the women. We brought paints and spent time drawing. I made a heart full of colors (reflecting how I felt at that moment) and felt that God wanted me to give this drawing to someone. Initially, I didn't know who, but when the team leader asked me to pray for Lolita, I realized it was for her. I handed her the drawing and shared my story, saying that despite June 6th being a sad day, God had given me genuine joy and wanted to do the same for her. Surprisingly, Lolita revealed that it had been exactly one month since she had also lost her mother on that day, June 6th. When we returned from the visit, I told Kaio, "I know we came for three months, but I want to continue doing this for the next few years." He agreed.
Parties in the main red-light districts of Mexico City
The Safe House is a home for girls and teenagers rescued from human trafficking
Human trafficking is a serious and widespread crime that affects millions of people worldwide. It involves the recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of individuals through coercion, fraud, or force, for purposes such as forced labor, prostitution, slavery, and organ extraction. Victims, often lured by promises of employment or a better life, end up trapped in inhumane conditions with no means of escape. This phenomenon is fueled by factors like poverty, inequality, lack of education, and conflicts, necessitating a coordinated global effort for its prevention, intervention, and victim restoration. Human trafficking generates an estimated profit of $245 billion per year, more than the Gross Domestic Product of most nations on Earth.