A GivStory By Derri Smith | Not For Sale Tennessee

 Beyond my worst nightmares …

At 55, I am no stranger to suffering. I was regularly abused by my pastor father. I’ve walked intimately with loved ones through the trauma of rape, abuse, illness and divorce. But nothing in my past prepared me for what I encountered when I picked up a copy of  Not For Sale by David Batstone. I entered a world beyond my worst nightmares, where six year olds tout their sex trade skills to potential “customers”; thirteen year olds are sold in pairs to be raped at will and ten year old boys are made to club neighbors to death as initiation into forced “military” duty.

Only this wasn’t a nightmare, soon to be followed by a good morning. These stories are real and not just a few isolated cases of unspeakable horror; they are the plight of millions of children throughout the world. Commerce in human beings is, I learned, the second largest and fastest growing crime on the planet, affecting 27 million lives.

 In my own backyard?!

Desperation borne of such knowledge launched a quest to educate myself.  I was shocked to discover that slavery thrives right here in my own Music City (Nashville) and in surrounding small towns, suburbs and rural areas. Awareness widened , and my eyes with it, as I discovered that my purchases drive the demand for slave labor around the world. I begged God to show me no more, because the pain was intolerable, unless He would give me something to DO about it.

He did.

Ordinary people + amazing God

He took this very ordinary woman with nothing more to offer than a broken heart and willingness to take action, and started opening doors, intersecting me with people I could learn from. I sense, each step of the way, His anger and pain over weak, vulnerable people exploited, used like commodities and forced to do things against their wills; His agony over each injustice to a person lovingly formed by His own hands, and His eagerness to mobilize His people to end this travesty.

Less than a year ago, my answer to the burning question “What can I do?”, was to become the Tennessee State Director for Not for Sale Campaign. I now equip, mobilize and/or partner with dedicated activists from all walks of life to deploy innovative, effective solutions to end slavery locally, nationally and internationally.

Now Teachers - enlighten “Johns” who don’t realize that the services they buy are sometimes provided by unwilling slaves.

Students - canvas business districts, placing posters that provide a hotline to report human trafficking and tips for recognizing victims.

Homemakers and Business People - sell items made by rescued slaves.

Artists - lend their craft to raise awareness and funds to aid a survivor.

Older Women - scour the web for clues to local human trafficking activity

That’s just a snapshot of the panorama of activity in this organic enterprise.

There’s a place for everyone in the movement to end slavery. Let’s work together to find yours.

http://www.notforsaletn.org/