- Be Intentional. When I chose to get involved in anti-trafficking, I knew I had to stand up for all the girls and boys lost in slavery in the world. Not just the little ones. I want both my daughters growing up seeing their mommy fighting for girls just like them. I want them to understand that as human beings, we all have the right to respect and dignity endowed by our Creator. Know your limitations. Listen to where God is calling you whether it’s Awareness, Intervention, or Prevention. Don’t forget self-care. Don’t despair! This is a difficult world, but “we were not given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and sober mind!” – 2nd Timothy 1:7
- Prayer. Never underestimate the power of prayer. We should pray as individuals and as mothers and fathers together. If possible, partner with others to pray for the victims, the survivors, the traffickers, the sex buyers, and those working on all fronts to combat trafficking. Consider forming a prayer team at your church or joining one if it’s there.
- Mommy Network. Create a Mommy network where you can meet once a month whether on social media or in person. Or discuss in your small group! Brainstorm ways to parent children to be little advocates. Talk to them in age-appropriate ways about subjects like bullying, body image, internet safety (Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Book), sexting, cultural messages etc. Form a plan of how you can be intentional in your families, in your church, and in your community. Two ways to do this:
A. Turn your RADARS on! God gives you intuition and good instincts as mothers. If a potential trafficking or abusive situation is enfolding in your children’s school, your neighborhood, your park, your church, or within your family, observe, take notes, and then report! If it’s an emergency situation, contact the police immediately.
B. Get involved with local police. Get connected. It’s always better to have a contact. See if the police will allow you to do a field trip with your local mommy/homeschool co-op. Kids can learn more about what the police do and you can communicate with them and find out how they are fighting trafficking. - Get Plugged IN! Consider ways to support or fundraise for your local/international trafficking rescue organizations. Some practical ideas:
A. Donations. Donate your gentle-used baby and maternity clothes to your local trafficking rescue center. Consider hosting a baby shower for them or for teen pregnant moms in your community. Again, be intentional and research what organizations are in the area and how you can support them.
B. Adopt a Mom. Christmastime is a wonderful way to bless survivor moms. Consider adopting a family and showering them with Christmas gifts. Also, prison ministries are wonderful around this time.
C. Survivor-Wares Parties (i.e WAR Chest Boutique Party). Host a party to sell products made by survivors. These women are artisans trying to support their children whether it’s here in the United States or all around the world. These parties can be done online, in the home, at your church, or at any community meeting. Be sure to wear products made by survivors so you can promote them more. Get your children involved with helping to set up the party. Teach them why it’s so important to help these women and children.
D. Arts and Crafts. If you are creative in any way and enjoy arts and crafts projects with your children, consider starting a mini non-profit. Become an artisan with your child and paint, sketch, sew, knit, sculpt, design etc. works of art and sell them so the proceeds can go back to trafficking rescue.
E. Pack lunches for the homeless in your community. Young children are sponges who love to soak up the lessons you teach them in doing this. Many times, they will come up with their own ideas to make the experience even better. “Let’s do hot chocolate next time!” - Invest in the Children Around You! No downplaying this one. The old quote holds true: it takes a village to raise a child. Whether it’s supporting the single mom on your block by babysitting, forming a mommy network, turning our radars on, or volunteering at our children’s schools, children are our most precious commodity. We must invest in them above all. Wherever you are called, any of these suggestions are great to put into practice.
BONUS: Good father’s and sons.
It is so important for good fathers to be involved as well as good mothers. A father heavily influences his girl’s sense of self-worth; she will judge every other man against her daddy. Our husbands should partner with us to be intentional, to pray with us, and to learn how to combat trafficking together and apart. Whether it looks like a daddy/daughter dance, our husbands refusing to joke about women at the office, or teaching sons to not only avoid negative content with their eyes but also to have such a high respect for girls. Even if a son encounters degrading photos, if they are trained to view the girl in them as a sister and remember she is somebody’s daughter, especially God’s daughter, they are encouraged to act as protectors and fighters for girls around them. May we all have this mindset for our children.