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Alezandra Russell: Traveling to Thailand

Alezandra works with the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, D.C. Following is her story of first being exposed to child prostitution, and her journey towards action.

It was a November day in 2008 when I was suddenly thrown into the nightmarish and unfamiliar issue of child prostitution. She was fifteen, she had just arrived from Honduras and she had just been SOLD by her mother into the hands of a trafficker from North Carolina. The next few days for me consisted of a crash course in Trafficking 101 and a new found commitment to Re:Action that would eventually lead me to the SOLD Project. Assured by police that this was a typical runaway case, the story would soon unfold to be my first peak into the international outbreak of child trafficking.

As months past and with our "runaway" finally back home safely, but not without her innocence robbed, my crash course in human trafficking would only continue to amplify my interest in this global issue, making my head heavy with questions, concerns, and purpose. I soon became the voice of the victims, I was informing anyone who would listen to me, I spoke to my co-workers, social workers, family, friends and within a few months our entire staff at the Latin American Youth Center was trained in Human Trafficking 101 by Polaris Project. Now, as the Spokesperson/Liaison on Human Trafficking for the organization in which I work, as well as member of the DC Human Trafficking Task Force, I am in a place to help share the stories of the victims so that they are not seen as simple "runaways".

I was magically introduced to the SOLD Project serendipitously by an email I received from the ICE Special Agent who rescued my client back in November. He wrote me to tell me not only was the trafficker sentenced to 24 years in federal state prison, but that I should also check out this "cool" documentary by some organization started by two "chicks". A few months and a lengthy plane ride later, I was witnessing, hearing, and seeing firsthand, the nightmare that is child trafficking-- only this time I was not stateside but oceans away in Thailand with the SOLD Project and one of those awesome "chicks".

In Thailand, I would come to form a steel bond with ten SOLD volunteers, 2 SOLD mentors, a wildly unique mid-western translator and about a dozen timid Thai faces. To my surprise I read that 'Thai' in their polytonal, difficult tongue actually means free. Thailand is therefore the land of the free, however that was hardly an accurate statement I would soon learn as I walked through the Night Bazaar of Chiang Mai. Walk along Tapei Gate Road towards the Night Bazaar and you would never think such a country was named Land of the Free. Here is where girls, boys and child beggars mix among sex tourists, pimps and exploiters who are here only to barter and sell our most valuable resource to the highest bidder. The faces, the bare skin, and the nasty excuses given to me by the sex tourists would lead me to my next journey, a venture like no other I had ever dared to explore.

Reluctant to leave the children, the night bazaar boys and the SOLD staff I decided I would return, and soon. Now, with a plan in tow, donations funneling in, a supportive husband and a resignation letter already in the hands of my employer, my journey back to Thailand (Freeland) will aim at collaborating with SOLD to provide opportunities and a way out of the prison of child prostitution so many of the youth find themselves locked in. Having identified a vulnerable group of youth at high-risk of HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and lack of healthcare, we can only hope that together we will be able to provide new opportunities through new programming, English classes and ample love. This collaboration will provide new opportunities, new hope and new freedom for the people of Tapei Gate Road and beyond the Thai boarders.

Andrew Sullivan: Raising Awareness at Bettendorf High School

I am a part of the student council at Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. We have a relatively active council and every year we put on many different fundraisers and events. A few years ago, I met Rachel at a youth conference in Indiana and heard about the SOLD Project, so when we were looking for a project to raise awareness about a global social justice issue, I immediately thought of SOLD and we decided to run with it. After many weeks of planning and speaking individually with each and every class about what we would be doing and why, we finally arrived at the week of our school-wide project and it couldn't have gone better.

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Christina Louie: Campus Demonstration

Christina Louie, a freshman at UC Davis, hosted The SOLD Project: Thailand on January 29th. Watch this video to find out how she creatively spread the word on campus about SOLD and the issue of child prostitution.

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Zachary Ortega: Poetry

Zachary Ortega wrote the following poem in response to the film 'SOLD:Cat'

i wonder if these children would have wanted to be born
had they known their destiny included the theft of all innocence
they are miraculous beings, the entire city at night suspended in their hands
eyes placed towards heaven as a stranger enters from the east.

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Sarah Montoya: Art Awareness Event

I work with an organization in San Francisco called ReIMAGINE.  At ReIMAGINE we seek to invite people into The Way of Jesus. As a community of people our heart breaks for those living in slavery, and to raise awareness we hosted an event called ABOLITION in response to the twenty-seven million people estimated to be enslaved today.

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Suzy Hunt: Musician

Last year, I got some musician friends together, and we played a concert in a small dark attic-like space on the lower east side of Manhattan.  But this concert was special, and different for all of us.  We weren't playing for money or recognition or to promote a new album, we were playing for The Sold Project and for the millions of victims of child sex trafficking around the world.

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Kaolhi Ly: Fundraiser

I was introduced to the topic of human trafficking through a professor of mine. The issue grabbed my attention and I knew that I couldn't look away. After endless hours of talking to him about it, I decided to do my own research on the topic.

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Keith Brown : Film

When I first heard of the issue of Human Trafficking my heart felt like it was being stuck with a million needles, piercing through every ounce of love I have ever had. From that moment on I knew to much to not do anything. My life will forever be dedicated in the change.

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Alana Downey - Hairstylist

My name is Alana Downey and I’m a hairstylist in Danville, CA and I heard about Sold from my dear friend Rachel Goble-Carey. I had heard about other hairdressers and salons doing fundraisers called “Cut-A-Thon’s” so I thought ‘why not, I could do that’. I had been searching for ways to use my skill to support organizations that I believe in: organizations that are making a difference in the world, and the idea of a cut-a-thon was perfect. I would be able to do what I was good at, donate the money to SOLD, and at the same time educate my clients about the issue of child prostitution and create awareness for The SOLD Project.



Justin Dial - Filmmaker

I still remember my first day of real paid documentary film work. My friend Nate was editing a documentary for a production company in Pasadena called Chronicle Project. Nate had hours and hours of interviews that he needed transcribed and he came to me for help. What happened next changed my life. I began to watch an interview of a young Indian girl forced into prostitution. In her interview she explained how she had been coerced by a boyfriend to move and work in a brothel. She went into great detail about her emotional sickness and told of the beatings she faced if she didn't hand over all of the money she earned to her boyfriend, now turned pimp. I realized the importance of her story, but I managed to convince myself that I couldn't really help this girl.

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Good for Art - Artists for SOLD

Artists Shannon and Erik Newby share with SOLD their passion for the visual arts and how they are using their art to fight for justice…

I used to cry sometimes at night when I was a kid, just from watching the news. I would lie in bed and pray that God would make the newscasters tell only good stories, and that God would take all the “bad guys” away. Over the years, I’ve changed those prayers. Now I ask God to show me the ugly stories, and to show me how I can be a part of turning them into beautiful ones.

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Coffee By The Books: tips as donations


In the early-2000's Coffee By The Books baristas made a unanimous decision to give whatever money was made in tips away to a charity decided upon by the staff. For some in our community, this decision seemed asinine. However, it was the feeling of the staff that we are all blessed beyond measure and thus we wanted to put our belief that those who are in need are worthy of our sacrifice above any desire for some extra weekly pocket change. Oddly enough, once the idea took off, the community really got behind it. We have multiple people who send us literature on charities every month and when people see that our tips go to charity they often donate more. There is also the added perk that when someone appreciates our customer service they throw down a couple extra bucks and the charity we are featuring benefits. I think this also drives many of us to take better care of our customers because the ethos of customer service extends beyond ourselves and benefits others.

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Joshua Morey : Conversation Starter

When I moved to Los Angeles in 2007, little did I know that the simple act of apartment hunting would change my life forever. My roommates and I found a great (and cheap) place in Korea town that had just hit the market. Wood floors, fresh carpets, new counters, you name it! It never occurred to me why the place was so cheap. Little did I know the impact that this new apartment would have on my life.

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Will Roman : roman apparel

My first introduction to The SOLD Project came with a 1 am cross-country phone call to a friend-of-a-friend, Rachel Sparks-Graeser, who shared her incredible heart break and selfless motivation for the child victims of the sex trade in South Asia. This fire inside Rachel was so strong that it immediately ignited within myself a similar desire for radical change. I desperately wanted to lend my support in some way, but wanted to do more than simply donating. Others must know about the crimes that are being ignored abroad, they need to be told about the people who are fighting to stop these abuses, and they need to be inspired to get involved. Thus unfolded the idea for the SOLD t-shirt.

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