Human Trafficking: Held as SLAVES, Now are FREE!!!

They arrived in the United States from Ghana, West Africa; young girls held against their will and forced to work for hours on end. But this time, it didn't happen hundreds of years ago, as told by CNN. These young girls were brought here by promises of better life and education. The girls' families sent them to the United States after being assured constantly of it. But once they arrived, they were forced to work in hair braiding shops across the Newark area -- just a short drive from New York City, right in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.

They were slaves and captured by an evil heartless family thrilled by the extra cash. The girls described their life as meaningless, supervised, and horrible. Their living environments were horrible. Nicole and Zena were two of the twenty women who were captured. As said by Nicole, “I always have to behave, behave, behave, behave. No freedom at all.” They had never spoken publicly before the incident and now that they could they had something powerful to say. “It was horrible," said Zena Amevor, who was 15 when she was brought over from Togo. "Sometimes there was not enough food for us to eat. ... It was like a prison. I was just stuck there. ... It was horrible."

They were victims of human trafficking and walked the streets everyday and no one would have known. They had the chance everyday to run away and make themselves free, but who would they run to. When they were younger they knew no one and spoke to no one, how would they have escaped? They were on their feet all day, sometimes for more than 12 hours, weaving intricate and elaborate hair braids, seven days a week. At times, they were forced to braid the hair of American teenagers no older than they were; girls who were free and had no idea the people braiding their hair were slaves.

How would they have known? What would you have done? Would you have seen it as human trafficking? Scenarios like these go on everyday and people ignore them because it is the norm. Now will you be watching, will you think twice about funny situations? Then again would you really ever know? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. Slavery is a serious issue, Trafficking is modern day slavery. End the Misery, Stop Human Trafficking. Put the RIGHT back into Rights for these people dealing with this reoccurring nightmare.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/02/slave.labor.ring.busted/index.html?iref=allsearch