TAMPA, Fla. — Human Trafficking victims often face obstacles within the legal system, which forces many to return to exploitation and abuse.
It takes an average of 5 attempts for a victim to permanently escape that cycle. And it is often due to financial dependence.
“Life was never easy. My mom worked really hard to provide, you know, I think she had it the hardest. I do believe generational trauma does transfer. So, her story has become my own,” said Edwelina Krzanowska, a Human Trafficking survivor.
Edwelina was born in Poland, moved to America at 3 years old, and had a hard time learning English. By the time she was 18, Ewelina had become a victim of human trafficking, and said addiction led her down that path.
“Addiction ran in our family if, you know, if it wasn't alcoholism, it was drug addiction, which was my case. I fell into drug addiction and then trafficking,” said Edwelina.
Edwelina was trapped in that life for over 8 years and said she wasn’t really living but rather just surviving day by day.
“Addiction is the pivotal culprit of keeping a woman to numb all the trauma and to sustain life in the life of trafficking, a survival in a sense. So, from there, it's an easy way to just forget what you're going through every single day,” explained Edwelina.
But then, one day, she had a moment of clarity and finally found help.
“And I think it was the week of Thanksgiving, where I was, I found myself in a hotel room by myself, just saying, this is my life like, this is, this is not how I want to die,” said Edwelina.
She continued, “I really recall even a woman in the detox, just her encouragement. You know, she could take one look at me, and she said, 'You're going to make it like, just keep going, you're going to make, and it's those moments today that I remember because everyone saw more than me then than I ever saw myself.”
Now Edwelina is a survivor advocate and a board member for I-Rise, a nonprofit that helps human trafficking victims start a new life.
“Our goal is not just to help our students find jobs. It's for them to feel ready so that when they graduate, they can step into a career path of their dreams and feel ready for it,” explained Kristen Bracy, the founder of I-Rise.
Kristen started the program after seeing victims of human trafficking again and again. She was determined to create a better pathway for survivors so they leave for good.
“They had a criminal record, which prevented them from getting a job that pays a livable wage, so they couldn't get out of the neighborhood where they were first trafficked in. So, they're around all the same people, places, and things,” said Kristen.
She continued, “We focus really heavily on financial literacy, education, and employment to help women become financially stable and independent, get into a career path that gives them a sense of dignity and worth and something that they're excited about. But then also helps them with upward mobility and helps them build wealth and move on.”
The I-Rise program is 4 weeks long, Monday through Friday, and survivors are paid to be there.
“For this month, this is your job to come and invest in your future and to learn these skills. And it gave them that weight off of their shoulders to be able to come and really be here. And then, as you said, it was also an incentive when you come, you get paid, just like a job,” said Kristen.
Kristen brings in professionals to speak to the class so survivors can hear about opportunities waiting for them.
“They get 120 hours of soft skills, hard skills, financial literacy, training, and psycho-education where we do some of that kind of inner work of helping them heal from the inside out,” explained Kristen.
Others prepare the survivors with skills on how to get a job.
“We partner with staffing agencies; Five Star Staffing is a great partner to us. They'll come in and teach our resume writing segment, and then they'll come back and teach our mock interviewing. So, they'll do a virtual mock interview, and then they will do a live mock interview with a staffing agency,” said Kristen.
By the end of the program, human trafficking survivors graduate with employable skills, gain financial independence, and walk out believing in themselves.
“When you face obstacles that were meant to destroy you, and you overcome them, it's the most empowering thing because then you know, you can even get further in life. And I think even being able to tell that to the women that come through this program is that nothing can stop you,” said Edwelina.
For more information about the program, click here: https://www.irisefl.org/
If you fear someone may be a victim of human trafficking, you can call the National Human Trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
