"As I was learning about the needs related to women enslaved in the bondage of forced prostitution, I made some great connections...In Spain there is a relatively new organization with whom we've become affiliated, called Esclavitud XXI (Slavery XXI) which is leading the Spanish 'Evangelical Charge' in anti-trafficking initiatives, particularly in the area of slavery in prostitution. They are a fresh and enthusiastic group of very committed Christians who are working with varied types of ministries and spheres of influence, including 2 local politicians from the 2 major political parties, and trying to draw us into a cohesive network, so that we can share resources, and encourage one another in our efforts."
Each girl comes with some $60,000 of 'debt bondage,' most often trafficked by (someone known to her) and with the consent & pressure of her mother!!! The mother expects her trafficked daughter (often not more than 15 or 16) to provide financially for the needs of the family, quite aware that her daughter will be forced to work as a prostitute.
In addition, each girl is subjected to Voodoo rituals before she leaves Africa, to control her through fear. All of these issues are a major problem for anyone working to help these girls, since our 'sophisticated' Western worldview prevents us from properly understanding the issues related to a completely different worldview. So we encounter a wall of silence when trying to work with these victims, because of their fear, vows of silence and curses pronounced during the Voodoo rituals."
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