Project GOLD workshop at Kristi House
On October 17th 2011, Instructor Sambra Zaoui, Maya Weber and Jennifer Maldonado, BSW students from Ms. Zaoui’s Practice II course, attended a Project GOLD workshop at Kristi House. The workshop informed practitioners, educators, volunteers, law enforcement as well as students in attendance how human sexual exploitation is ubiquitous within the South Florida community. The main purpose of the workshop was to promote awareness of human sex trafficking within our community, as well help shift our perception/understanding about these victims, and most of all, change our language about them. Often times, we label human trafficked victims as teen prostitutes, strippers, call girls; these labels give rise to beliefs and attitudes that are contrary to the truth. These labels insinuate that the victims have a choice, and/or are criminals, substance abusers or are doing it for the fast money.
Unfortunately, many of the victims’ stories are all the same, they had already experienced sexual assault in their own home; therefore, their self-worth, trust and safety is compromised and run away. As per Maria Clara Rodriguez, who has worked with the Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) for over ten years, informs the group that The National Institute for Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children estimates that nationally “1.6 million children run away each year and that one out every three teens on the street will be lured toward the sex industry within 48 hours of leaving home.” Ms. Rodriguez states that the pimps know exactly where to find their victims: bus stops, diners, libraries, parks, and under bridges; and why Miami, is a hot spot for CSEC. Project Gold (girls owning their lives & dreams) believes that the high frequency of tourism; prominent sporting events; centers for international business; military bases, truck stops all make Miami a hub for human trafficking.
Project Gold is relentless in their efforts to help change the perception CSEC victims have in the clinical and judicial arena as well as community at large. Therefore, in order to effectively work with these victims, we need to understand that their lifestyle is not a choice but rather an unfortunate outcome of many re-traumatizing events that have taken place in the victims’ lives. Instructor Sambra Zaoui, Maya Weber and Jennifer Maldonado took this workshop as a stepping stone toward future work with CSEC victims. The next step is to attend an outreach workshop that will better train Instructor Zaoui, Ms. Weber and Ms. Maldonado prior to going out on the streets with the outreach team between 10pm and 3 am in the morning to meet the human trafficked victims where they are at.
The workshop is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop insight, compassion and practical instruction on how to work with CSEC victims, says Instructor Zaoui. She has been encouraging her students to attend workshops in this genre and/or any areas of interest to compliment the Practice I, II, III curriculum. Zaoui believes that the more insight, understanding and education our social work students gain by attending related workshops, the broader their scope of comprehension will be and effective “tools” they will possess to serve the community and abroad. Ms. Weber and Ms. Maldonado were encouraged by the workshop and plan on continuing to attend further workshops to help strengthen their understanding and practical intervention skills while working with CSEC victims.
