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Rachael - A Story of Trafficking

Intro

Rachel Domingue* grew up in south Louisiana and now serves among the poor in India’s urban slums. Using theatre and the arts, she works toward the transformation of these communities. Recently she produced a play to raise awareness about human-trafficking, one of the worst problems of our time. She hopes to see God’s reign of justice and peace come among the poor as she involves community members in theatre projects that speak of the hope and good news of the kingdom of God.

* Name changed for security purposes.

I got to take the students out in to the community to show their street play. We did about 5 performances. The play talks about sex-trafficking and what the community can do to help stop it. After the play the actors pass out cards with a helpline number people can call to report any sex-trafficking. It was awesome to see the students engaging with the audience after the performances, explaining about trafficking. They really stepped up and took ownership. I think they felt a sense of power--that they could do something to change their community for the better. My heart was full watching them perform and seeing them get excited about it. They were loving it and kept brainstorming more places where they could take the play (it's a street play, so we just find a busy place outside and do it). They have even been invited to perform for a corporation for an awareness day in a few weeks.

I also recently did a staff training for an NGO that works with women who have been trafficked and rescued. We went over some simple tools that the staff could use in counseling women and children affected by prostitution and AIDS. The staff were really excited and some have even already tried some of the things from the training back at their sites. I was encouraged by one story that made its way back to me of a little boy who would never talk. Applying the training, the staff asked him to draw a picture of how he felt. He drew a knife. He explained that he felt like he was so afraid that he always wanted to carry a knife with him. While it's sad that that is the reality of how he feels, it is amazing that he is finally beginning to express some of these things.

Rachel has found that seeing communities rise up against the great injustice of human trafficking as well as seeing affected women and children rescued and healed has been a transformative experience for her own relationship with Jesus. Watching the world’s and other people’s wounds be healed by Jesus brings healing to her own soul.