Recently, I attended a fundraiser for FAIR Fund, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner. The event was appropriately called “Pearls of Purpose.” FAIR Fund’s mission is to stop the human trafficking of woman and children and help with their recovery. Also featured at the event was an auction of custom made jewelry by the young women who were recovering from this type of abuse (I picked up a cute bracelet).
Human trafficking is an epidemic and until recently I was unaware of how wide spread the problem actually is. At “Pearls of Purpose,” there was a young woman named Biljana who bravely stood up and told her story. It was a story of tragedy that began when she was sold at the age of 11; now that she’s in her 20s, her story has turned into one of triumph with the help of FAIR Fund. It was a humbling experience to stand before her and listen to what she endured to now be able to encourage other young women who maybe have a similar background. What I learned from this is that you never know the stories of other people. There she was before being called to stage, dressed in a lovely black cocktail dress. At times we passed each other and greeted each other with a smile. Me, not knowing the story of this powerful young woman. It made me wonder how many times we have all met or came in contact with a “Biljana.”
We may go about our day sometimes oblivious to the atrocities that others face; sometimes they’re the people that are standing right next to us. FAIR Fund reminded me of how important it is to be brave and speak for victims. Sometimes dark secrets in our communities remain hidden until someone is brave enough to speak up and shed light on them. Sometimes it just takes one person to step up and speak for victims who can’t speak for themselves.
It wasn’t until I reached out to Washington Area Women’s Foundation and received the report Portrait Project 2010 (which highlighted some of the grim statistics that women face, from poverty, to education, and housing) that I was aware of the challenges faced by women and girls throughout our community. Now, I have the opportunity to raise my voice and raise awareness about these issues. I do believe that change starts with one person — it might as well be me and you.
Tiffany Parker is Ms. Maryland 2011. She has partnered with Washington Area Women’s Foundation to raise awareness of the issues faced by women and girls during her reigning yea