Aja Houle | She/Hers
“Expert, Mother, Author”
Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking – PACT Consultant
A Form of Prevention: Inform Youth with Lived-Experience of Legal Rights
When I was fifteen years old, I successfully escaped the man who trafficked me. Living in East Oakland at the time, he sold me throughout the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area and on Craigslist. This man used me as his primary source of income, forcing me to have sex with men for money, controlled everything that I did, and physically tortured me.
On a December night in 2006, he had a small house party with friends. He asked me a question while I was in the living room. Feeling completely hopeless, exhausted, and truly sickened at the sight of him, I replied in a sarcastic tone. He used a strand of Christmas lights to strangle me. That was the incident that prompted me to make a plan to try to escape. I was successful and finally got away from William Rickman.
I’d recruited a friend of mine into Billy’s trafficking ring. I felt immense guilt for leaving her behind. After my escape, I’d call her to make sure she was still alive. During one of those calls, William took the phone from her and told me that he would kill me if he ever found me. His words were not a threat. They were a vow. The countless beatings and violence I experienced at his hand were reassurance to me that given the opportunity he would murder me.
Eventually, I returned to care. I was close to turning seventeen and self-motivated to complete probation and get my life on track before becoming an adult. I knew that would take time, so I turned myself in at Juvenile Hall and went to placement at Sierra Girls Center. By the time I turned eighteen, I’d completed probation, graduated high school with my GED, had my first semester at Santa Rosa Junior College, worked for Starbucks, got my license, and purchased my first car. The relationships I built with social workers and the things I learned while at Sierra were a foundation for the “Rebuild” of my life.
In November 2019, I visited the Oakland Police Department with a colleague. My work in direct services with ILP Youth, my relationships with fellow survivors, and my dedication to advocating in this work, all influenced my decision to finally take legal action— something I’d wanted to do for thirteen years. Detectives took my statement. I continuously followed up with OPD and advocated for William’s arrest. In August 2021, the detective working my case shared with me that a warrant was finally issued for his arrest.
William had moved to Washington. He was dating a woman named Gloria Choi. Gloria was a mother. She managed a hotel her family owned in Chehalis. According to several sources, Gloria contacted police at least a dozen times between December 2021 and January 2022 to report violations of a court-issued no-contact order she’d obtained against William. He was arrested and held for a short period on one occasion. He was not held on the warrant Oakland allegedly issued.
Tragically, on January 2, 2022, Gloria was murdered while she was on the phone with 9-1-1. Gloria told dispatchers that William was chasing her. He was arrested a few days later and charged with aggravated murder. According to a charging document that references a conversation Gloria had with her best friend, “Choi told the friend she was fearful of breaking up with Rickman because he told her if she broke up with him, he would kill her.”
I can’t say that Gloria would be alive if I had taken legal action when I was younger. I can’t say that she’d be alive if he’d been arrested, held, and charged with child sex trafficking. But I’ll always wonder, had something been done differently, would it have saved her?
When I returned to care, nobody spoke with me about my trafficking experience. Although folks were aware of what happened to me, there was a “move forward” approach to my care. I was terrified of William back then. Had I known my legal rights at seventeen, I don’t think I would have come forward— but, I can’t say for sure. If traffickers aren’t held accountable and provided resources for rehabilitation they will likely reoffend and continue to exploit and abuse.
Providing legal resources to youth who have experienced exploitation can be a preventative measure. Should a youth choose to pursue legal action against their trafficker, it may prevent further abuse, exploitation, or even murder. We don’t have to wait for youth to figure it out on their own, later in life, or to come to us and ask what they can do. We can do more to inform them of their rights, connect them to legal resources, and support them through the process.
About the Collection
Aja’s piece is a narrative that highlights her experience of returning to care as a youth, taking legal action against her trafficker as an adult, and why she believes informing youth of their legal rights should be a priority whilst serving youth. “We can work to improve how we provide youth knowledge and resources they are entitled to but often don’t learn about until adulthood. Specifically, I think there is an opportunity for child welfare to partner with Minor Counsel (Foster Youth Attorneys) to ensure that youth know their options, connect youth to the appropriate legal teams and resources, and provide support— whether youth choose to take legal action or not.”
Artist Biography
Aja Houle is a human trafficking survivor, mother of four, advocate, and author. A Public Affairs candidate, she graduated from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
On her journey, she came to realize the importance of spreading awareness about combating trafficking. She also came to acknowledge how valuable survivor empowerment is and its extraordinary capability to spread throughout communities. Public Affairs has become an area of focus in her life because trafficking policies do not currently reflect the fair & just policy that survivors deserve.
Aja is passionate about working together in communities at city levels to stand for anti-trafficking policies by sharing her experience as a professional in the anti-trafficking field as well as her lived experience. She has dedicated her life to preventative & reparative efforts for all forms of trafficking.
Aja Houle | She/Hers
“Expert, Mother, Author”
Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking – PACT Consultant
About the Collection
Aja’s piece is a narrative that highlights her experience of returning to care as a youth, taking legal action against her trafficker as an adult, and why she believes informing youth of their legal rights should be a priority whilst serving youth.
“We can work to improve how we provide youth knowledge and resources they are entitled to but often don’t learn about until adulthood.
Specifically, I think there is an opportunity for child welfare to partner with Minor Counsel (Foster Youth Attorneys) to ensure that youth know their options, connect youth to the appropriate legal teams and resources, and provide support— whether youth choose to take legal action or not.”
Artist Biography
Aja Houle
Consultant
She/her/hers
Sonoma, CA
Aja Houle is a human trafficking survivor, mother of four, advocate, and author. A Public Affairs candidate, she graduated from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
On her journey, she came to realize the importance of spreading awareness about combating trafficking. She also came to acknowledge how valuable survivor empowerment is and its extraordinary capability to spread throughout communities. Public Affairs has become an area of focus in her life because trafficking policies do not currently reflect the fair & just policy that survivors deserve.
Aja is passionate about working together in communities at city levels to stand for anti-trafficking policies by sharing her experience as a professional in the anti-trafficking field as well as her lived experience. She has dedicated her life to preventative & reparative efforts for all forms of trafficking.
A Form of Prevention: Inform Youth with Lived-Experience of Legal Rights
When I was fifteen years old, I successfully escaped the man who trafficked me. Living in East Oakland at the time, he sold me throughout the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area and on Craigslist. This man used me as his primary source of income, forcing me to have sex with men for money, controlled everything that I did, and physically tortured me.
On a December night in 2006, he had a small house party with friends. He asked me a question while I was in the living room. Feeling completely hopeless, exhausted, and truly sickened at the sight of him, I replied in a sarcastic tone. He used a strand of Christmas lights to strangle me. That was the incident that prompted me to make a plan to try to escape. I was successful and finally got away from William Rickman.
I’d recruited a friend of mine into Billy’s trafficking ring. I felt immense guilt for leaving her behind. After my escape, I’d call her to make sure she was still alive. During one of those calls, William took the phone from her and told me that he would kill me if he ever found me. His words were not a threat. They were a vow. The countless beatings and violence I experienced at his hand were reassurance to me that given the opportunity he would murder me.
Eventually, I returned to care. I was close to turning seventeen and self-motivated to complete probation and get my life on track before becoming an adult. I knew that would take time, so I turned myself in at Juvenile Hall and went to placement at Sierra Girls Center. By the time I turned eighteen, I’d completed probation, graduated high school with my GED, had my first semester at Santa Rosa Junior College, worked for Starbucks, got my license, and purchased my first car. The relationships I built with social workers and the things I learned while at Sierra were a foundation for the “Rebuild” of my life.
In November 2019, I visited the Oakland Police Department with a colleague. My work in direct services with ILP Youth, my relationships with fellow survivors, and my dedication to advocating in this work, all influenced my decision to finally take legal action— something I’d wanted to do for thirteen years. Detectives took my statement. I continuously followed up with OPD and advocated for William’s arrest. In August 2021, the detective working my case shared with me that a warrant was finally issued for his arrest.
William had moved to Washington. He was dating a woman named Gloria Choi. Gloria was a mother. She managed a hotel her family owned in Chehalis. According to several sources, Gloria contacted police at least a dozen times between December 2021 and January 2022 to report violations of a court-issued no-contact order she’d obtained against William. He was arrested and held for a short period on one occasion. He was not held on the warrant Oakland allegedly issued.
Tragically, on January 2, 2022, Gloria was murdered while she was on the phone with 9-1-1. Gloria told dispatchers that William was chasing her. He was arrested a few days later and charged with aggravated murder. According to a charging document that references a conversation Gloria had with her best friend, “Choi told the friend she was fearful of breaking up with Rickman because he told her if she broke up with him, he would kill her.”
I can’t say that Gloria would be alive if I had taken legal action when I was younger. I can’t say that she’d be alive if he’d been arrested, held, and charged with child sex trafficking. But I’ll always wonder, had something been done differently, would it have saved her?
When I returned to care, nobody spoke with me about my trafficking experience. Although folks were aware of what happened to me, there was a “move forward” approach to my care. I was terrified of William back then. Had I known my legal rights at seventeen, I don’t think I would have come forward— but, I can’t say for sure. If traffickers aren’t held accountable and provided resources for rehabilitation they will likely reoffend and continue to exploit and abuse.
Providing legal resources to youth who have experienced exploitation can be a preventative measure. Should a youth choose to pursue legal action against their trafficker, it may prevent further abuse, exploitation, or even murder. We don’t have to wait for youth to figure it out on their own, later in life, or to come to us and ask what they can do. We can do more to inform them of their rights, connect them to legal resources, and support them through the process.
Angelica Zuniga | She/Her
“Redeemed, Restored, Free”
CSEC Action Team Advisory Board Member, PACT Consultant, Redeemed Home Founder
About
Angelica’s submission is a photography collection entitled “Just a Glimpse of My Reality.” Angelica had the opportunity to work with other survivors and take pictures of places where she experienced exploitation in Kern County.
Unseen: This is my childhood home where I was groomed until I was 12 years old taught the ropes and everyday dos and don’ts of the lifestyle. As a young girl, I always felt unseen like I was drowning in chaos, and never able to take a deep breath.
Trade: At the age of 12, I began working in the sex trade.
Affiliated: For 18 years of my life, I became affiliated with the sex trade.
Hustle: I begin to learn how to hustle and make money to support my family and my addiction. Union Avenue in Bakersfield California became my Las Vegas.
Bait: I became bait. I was sold like a product for 18 years of my life.
Alone: When I was finally able to open my eyes, I realized I was alone with no money and nowhere to go. In 2013 I started my healing journey where I’m now restored, redeemed and set free. I am no longer a product of my past
I am a lived expert sharing my story of hope.
Artist Biography
Angelica Zuniga has been a consultant with PACT since 2020. She is a Survivor Leader who is contracted through the Department of Human Services to provide supportive services to high-risk and adjudicated youth throughout Kern County. She also currently sits on the advisory board with the National Center for Youth Law, is a member of the steering committee of the Coalition Against Human Trafficking in Kern County where she also co-facilitates awareness training with Common Spirit Dignity Health. In 2023, she became the Executive Director of ENOUGH HT. She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Redeemed Home; a safe haven for women over the age of 18 in Bakersfield, Ca. Her mission is to give those individuals still lost in the sex industry hope and to show restoration and redemption is possible. You can learn more at www.Redeemhome.net. Angelica believes in recovery; with the collaboration of other organizations, victims can turn into victors. She has collaborated with various organizations, safe houses, and recovery programs since 2013. Starting in 2013, Angelica oversaw Twilight Treasures, whose focus is to reach individuals still active in the commercial sex industry. When not busy with anti-trafficking related work, Angelica loves to spend time with her husband and take drives to the mountains where she recharges.
Angelica Zuniga | She/Hers
“Warrior”
CSEC Action Team Advisory Board Member, PACT Consultant, Redeemed Home Founder
About
Angelica’s submission is a photography collection entitled “Just a Glimpse of My Reality.” Angelica had the opportunity to work with other survivors and take pictures of places where she experienced exploitation in Kern County.
Unseen: This is my childhood home where I was groomed until I was 12 years old taught the ropes and everyday dos and don’ts of the lifestyle. As a young girl, I always felt unseen like I was drowning in chaos, and never able to take a deep breath.
Trade: At the age of 12, I began working in the sex trade.
Affiliated: For 18 years of my life, I became affiliated with the sex trade.
Hustle: I begin to learn how to hustle and make money to support my family and my addiction. Union Avenue in Bakersfield California became my Las Vegas.
Bait: I became bait. I was sold like a product for 18 years of my life.
Alone: When I was finally able to open my eyes, I realized I was alone with no money and nowhere to go. In 2013 I started my healing journey where I’m now restored, redeemed and set free. I am no longer a product of my past
I am a lived expert sharing my story of hope.
Artist Biography
Angelica Zuniga has been a consultant with PACT since 2020. She is a Survivor Leader who is contracted through the Department of Human Services to provide supportive services to high-risk and adjudicated youth throughout Kern County. She also currently sits on the advisory board with the National Center for Youth Law, is a member of the steering committee of the Coalition Against Human Trafficking in Kern County where she also co-facilitates awareness training with Common Spirit Dignity Health. In 2023, she became the Executive Director of ENOUGH HT. She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Redeemed Home; a safe haven for women over the age of 18 in Bakersfield, Ca. Her mission is to give those individuals still lost in the sex industry hope and to show restoration and redemption is possible. You can learn more at www.Redeemhome.net. Angelica believes in recovery; with the collaboration of other organizations, victims can turn into victors. She has collaborated with various organizations, safe houses, and recovery programs since 2013. Starting in 2013, Angelica oversaw Twilight Treasures, whose focus is to reach individuals still active in the commercial sex industry. When not busy with anti-trafficking related work, Angelica loves to spend time with her husband and take drives to the mountains where she recharges.
Diana Cisneros | She/Hers
“I am a lotus flower”
Consultant
About
Diana’s submission is an reflective collection of graphic design and visual art entitled “Messages to self”
About
Diana shares, “the overall theme of this art is self, self-discovery, and what we are made up of in the depths of us. I wanted to hold space for depths of self that are so often neglected, but become mandatory to explore and access in difficult times when life doesn’t go how we plan despite our best efforts. People say hardships have a way of making us or breaking us but I find that there is very little space held for them doing both. Yet, so often, it is both. These pieces were my message to those deeper places inside. First within myself and also within others. A message of love, courage, and hope. “
Artist Biography
Diana is a PACT Consultant, human trafficking trainer and advocate. Diana has provided human trafficking trainings across the state of California and beyond for a variety of agencies including child welfare, mental health professionals, hospitals and medical staff, as well as schools. She created specialty trainings and curriculum for both school districts and foster youth. Diana has provided direct services for survivors of all ages, led survivors groups, and pioneered multiple anti-trafficking efforts in her county.
Diana has been a guest speaker at many engagements including the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. She has been a consultant for the CSEC Action Team Advisory Board and the Child and Family Policy Institute of California. Diana dedicated many years of work to the Kern Coalition Against Human Trafficking in its founding years, and filled many roles including co-director.
Diana’s work in the anti-trafficking field led her to be named 2016 Woman of the year at California’s State Capitol. Diana earned her degree in Crisis Counseling and is passionate about her engagement in the anti-trafficking movement at the individual, community, and policy levels.
Diana Cisneros | She/Hers
“I am a lotus flower”
PACT Consultant | Human Trafficking Trainer and Advocate
About
Diana’s submission is an reflective collection of graphic design and visual art entitled “Messages to self”
Diana shares, “the overall theme of this art is self, self-discovery, and what we are made up of in the depths of us. I wanted to hold space for depths of self that are so often neglected, but become mandatory to explore and access in difficult times when life doesn’t go how we plan despite our best efforts. People say hardships have a way of making us or breaking us but I find that there is very little space held for them doing both. Yet, so often, it is both. These pieces were my message to those deeper places inside. First within myself and also within others. A message of love, courage, and hope. “
Artist Biography
Diana is a PACT Consultant, human trafficking trainer and advocate. Diana has provided human trafficking trainings across the state of California and beyond for a variety of agencies including child welfare, mental health professionals, hospitals and medical staff, as well as schools. She created specialty trainings and curriculum for both school districts and foster youth. Diana has provided direct services for survivors of all ages, led survivors groups, and pioneered multiple anti-trafficking efforts in her county.
Diana has been a guest speaker at many engagements including the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. She has been a consultant for the CSEC Action Team Advisory Board and the Child and Family Policy Institute of California. Diana dedicated many years of work to the Kern Coalition Against Human Trafficking in its founding years, and filled many roles including co-director.
Diana’s work in the anti-trafficking field led her to be named 2016 Woman of the year at California’s State Capitol. Diana earned her degree in Crisis Counseling and is passionate about her engagement in the anti-trafficking movement at the individual, community, and policy levels.
Cari Herthel | She/Hers
“Survivor”
CSEC Action Team Advisory Board Member, Vice-Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County
About the Collection
Cari’s original piece “Burden’s Not Mine” is a poem and song, which Cari describes as “her voice as a strength to ground through trauma.”
Artist Biography
Cari is a survivor leader, speaker consultant and engaged coalition partner based in Monterey County, California. Following her own recovery from sexual exploitation and experiencing labor trafficking, Cari worked for 27 years as a Recovery Resource Specialist in the areas of trauma, drugs and alcohol. Her training goes beyond trauma into complex intergenerational and traditional trauma. Due to her personal experience and as a child of the California welfare system, she focuses on issues concerning the welfare of children. California agencies seek her advice and consultancy to create Native American policies and procedures for children around education and prevention of human trafficking. She is on the advisory leadership council of Sovereign Bodies Institute, the CSEC Action Team’s Survivor Advisory Board, and is the the vice chair of Esselen Tribe of Monterey county
Cari Herthel | She/Hers
“Add Words”
CSEC Action Team Advisory Board Member, Vice-Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County
About the Collection
Cari’s pieces include a poem “Esselen Birthing Rock” and a song “Indigenous Prayer Song for Survivors.”
Artist Biography
Cari is a survivor leader, speaker consultant and engaged coalition partner based in Monterey County, California. Following her own recovery from sexual exploitation and experiencing labor trafficking, Cari worked for 27 years as a Recovery Resource Specialist in the areas of trauma, drugs and alcohol. Her training goes beyond trauma into complex intergenerational and traditional trauma. Due to her personal experience and as a child of the California welfare system, she focuses on issues concerning the welfare of children. California agencies seek her advice and consultancy to create Native American policies and procedures for children around education and prevention of human trafficking. She is on the advisory leadership council of Sovereign Bodies Institute, the CSEC Action Team’s Survivor Advisory Board, and is the the vice chair of Esselen Tribe of Monterey county
Jamelia Hinds |She/Hers
“Parent, Reslient, Goofy”
Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking Consultant
About the Collection
Jamelia’s poetry collection entitled “Freedom or Perception,” highlights the constant struggle to free oneself from past trauma that resurfaces during the continual healing journey. Jamelia describes that even though she was physically free from her trafficking situation while writing these pieces, they describe the fear during her time seeking immigration relief to eventually become a U.S. citizen. She shares that poetry as her “art form, a way to escape, process feelings and leave the pain on the page. Poetry is therapy, it’s a way to release and pick up to face another day.”
Artist Biography
Jamelia Hinds survived 12 years of human trafficking as a domestic servant for an American woman. She was trafficked from Belize at the age of 12 and has currently been free for 10 years. In that short time, she secured a T-Visa, graduated with her GED and began work in advocacy. Jamelia has engaged in public speaking at local, regional, statewide and national events, integrating her experience and lending its application to the anti-trafficking movement. She initiated the first survivor support group in the greater Fresno-area of California; continues to collaborate with numerous CBO’s including the role of Survivor Leadership with Breaking the Chains, as a Survivor Coordinator for MadeForThem and has participated as a PACT Consultant since 2014. She recently received her U.S. Citizenship status.
Jamelia, a mom of two children (who were also a part of her trafficking situation) shares, “my babies are my everything and they motivate me every day to move forward and stay strong. Today I have my green card, something I thought would never happen, but I never gave up hope. Now I’m on the next chapter in my life with my kids by my side” and a future.
Jamelia Hinds |She/Hers
“I am Resilient”
Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking Consultant
About the Collection
Jamelia’s three poem collection highlights her journey from victim to survivor. She describes poetry as her “art form, a way to espcape, process feelings and leave the pain on the page. Poetry is therapy, it’s a way to release and pick up to face another day.”
Artist Biography
Jamelia Hinds survived 12 years of human trafficking as a domestic servant for an American woman. She was trafficked from Belize at the age of 12 and has currently been free for 10 years. In that short time, she secured a T-Visa, graduated with her GED and began work in advocacy. Jamelia has engaged in public speaking at local, regional, statewide and national events, integrating her experience and lending its application to the anti-trafficking movement. She initiated the first survivor support group in the greater Fresno-area of California; continues to collaborate with numerous CBO’s including the role of Survivor Leadership with Breaking the Chains, as a Survivor Coordinator for MadeForThem and has participated as a PACT Consultant since 2014. She recently received her U.S. Citizenship status.
Jamelia, a mom of two children (who were also a part of her trafficking situation) shares, “my babies are my everything and they motivate me every day to move forward and stay strong. Today I have my green card, something I thought would never happen, but I never gave up hope. Now I’m on the next chapter in my life with my kids by my side” and a future.
Jessica Kim, ACSW
She/Her/Ella
“Beloved, Advocate, Mother, Child of God”
CSEC Action Team’s Survivor Advisory Board Member
About the Poem “Let Your Voice Rise”
“I wrote this poem at a time when I had lost my voice again due to the re-exploitation I had experienced in the anti-trafficking movement. It is the rising of the phoenix and regaining my voice back. It took being around sister survivors and a safe community that reminded me to speak, even if it’s a whisper. I Was reminded that I am important and that what I have to say matters. This poem is dedicated to all of us who at times feel that who we are or what we have to say does not matter and to the sisterhood of survivors who stand side by side to support each other.”
Artist Biography
A member of the CSEC Action Team Advisory Board for the state of California. Jessica endeavors to find solutions to eradicate human trafficking from our communities through collaborative efforts and partnerships. Jessica’s life experience of familial trafficking as an immigrant from Mexico has given her a deep understanding of what is needed to heal from trauma and has positively impacted the lives of the people she serves. Jessica uses her knowledge and life experiences to assist survivors wanting to exit the life of exploitation through mentorship and connection. She holds her master’s degree in social work from San Diego State University. She is working towards her license in clinical social work (LCSW) licensure, specializing in CSEC youth’s mental well-being. She is the co-creator of Zion Story, a Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention program for middle and high school youth. She also developed the Flourish Academy, a 12-week health and holistic wellness curriculum for adult survivors of human trafficking. She was featured in Stolen: A Year-Long Investigation Into Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation documentary, which has won several prestigious awards and has served as the Survivor’s Voice of the CSEC Advisory Council Subcommittee.
Jessica Kim
She/Her/Ella
“Thriver, Creator, Inspiring”
CSEC Action Team’s Survivor Advisory Board Member
About
Jessica Kim’s original poem “The Journey Home,” is about the journey that she took as an immigrant child to the USA and the travesty of being trafficked. In Jessica’s words she shares, ” I will embark you through this journey of pain and suffering while revealing the endurance and strength that survivors build along the way. This poem will reveal the experience through an immigrant child’s eyes and talk about in the present moment. I hope it will be powerful and encouraging to those that read it and to those who might be going through difficult times.”
Artist Biography
Jessica Kim is the Program Director of Educational Pathways at the Center for Justice and Reconciliation at Point Loma Nazarene University. In this capacity, Jessica endeavors to find solutions to empower survivors of human trafficking. Working collaboratively with organizations and using her lived experience, she believes that one cannot do it alone. It will take all of us working together to eradicate trafficking from our communities. Jessica’s life experience of familial trafficking at a young age and as a Mexican national has given her a deep understanding of what is needed to heal from trauma and has had a profound impact on the lives of the people she serves. Jessica graduated with a bachelor’s in social work from Point Loma Nazarene University and received her master’s degree in social work at San Diego State University. Jessica uses her knowledge and life experiences to assist survivors wanting to exit the life of exploitation. She is the co-creator of the know More! The Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention program for middle school and high school youth, developed the Flourish Academy, a 12-week health and holistic wellness curriculum for adult survivors of human trafficking. She was featured in Stolen: A Year-Long Investigation Into Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation documentary, which has won several prestigious awards and has served as the Survivors Voice at the CSEC Advisory Council Subcommittee.
Reshay Collier
She/Hers
“Poet, Mother, Follower of The Way”
CSEC Advisory Board Member
About
Reshay describes that she wrote this poem; “during a time in my life where I was forgetting who I was. I had become lost in the day to day, hurting while healing and still having to keep going, it took a toll on me. This poem was self encouragement, so many times we look to people, places and things to lift us up, or and we show up for everyone else more than we do ourselves. My hope is that as people hear this poem they will start to remember themselves and be encouraged that no matter what your current circumstances you are enough!”
Artist Biography
Reshay is a training associate at WestCoast Children’s Clinic providing trainings about commercial sexual exploitation for caregivers and providers throughout the state of California.
Her lived experience has given her the hands-on experience to relate to important matters. Reshay has been a Survivor Leader for the past 7 years with ”Love Never Fails” an organization that fights against human trafficking along with providing housing services to youth, women and men who have been exploited. She is also a house manager there as well. Reshay is an active member of the California CSEC Advisory board where she sits among other lived experience experts who consult, create and educate other organizations on the subjects of exploitation.
She endeavors to be a voice to those who may be considered voiceless, gain knowledge and network. Outside of her work in exploitation advocacy Reshay is an entrepreneur and has a food service business, she is also a poet. Reshay believes that every experience is important and coming together collectively will create a necessary change.
Reshay Collier,
She/hers, CSEC Advisory Boardmember
“Poet, a Mother, Follower of The Way”
About
Reshay describes her submission as a piece about “black women who have experienced countless abuses from society, exploitation and just life. In a world that seems to never see who we are nor appreciate how valuable we are, God does and so this poem is to encourage them.”
Artist Biography
Reshay is a training associate at WestCoast Children’s Clinic providing trainings about commercial sexual exploitation for caregivers and providers throughout the state of California.
Her lived experience has given her the hands-on experience to relate to important matters. Reshay has been a Survivor Leader for the past 7 years with ”Love Never Fails” an organization that fights against human trafficking along with providing housing services to youth, women and men who have been exploited. She is also a house manager there as well. Reshay is an active member of the California CSEC Advisory board where she sits among other lived experience experts who consult, create and educate other organizations on the subjects of exploitation.
She endeavors to be a voice to those who may be considered voiceless, gain knowledge and network. Outside of her work in exploitation advocacy Reshay is an entrepreneur and has a food service business, she is also a poet. Reshay believes that every experience is important and coming together collectively will create a necessary change.
Ummra Hang | She/Her/Queen
“Thriver, Creative, Passionate Intentional, Perseverance”
PACT Consultant
About the Poem
Ummra’s original poem Dear Mama, Or Whoever Will Listen describes “my personal experiences and some of the feelings I held on to and didn’t have the chances to express as a child. It brings to awareness how different factors, people, and places, affect a person’s life. It shares a story of the lack of recognizing danger, and how all of that can make the tremendous impacts it has over someone’s life. It asks for those in positions that can provide support, to do just that and not miss the opportunity.”
Artist Biography
Ummra Hang is a second generation Cambodian American, consultant, advocate, trainer, and speaker born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is dedicated to working with those who have been impacted by child sexual exploitation as well as formerly incarcerated people. Ms. Hang has an M.S.W. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Psychology from San José State University. She focuses on research and education in anti-trafficking, particularly around the importance of trauma, the impact of narratives that are placed on people, and language/label usage. She uses her academic and lived experiences to promote the power of healing from trauma through agency, self-empowerment, and pursuing authentic selves to realize one™s passions and goals for self-sufficiency. Ms. Hang shares her story to uplift the many others who are still silent and continue breaking barriers to help others reach a place of healing and not only survive but thrive.
Ummra Hang | She/Hers
“Visioner, Thriver, Creator, Radiant, Passionate”
PACT Consultant
About the Collection
Everyone deserves to receive care and attention. Far too many children, women, and men are neglected when seeking help. Sexual exploitation plagues communities unfortunately and many don’t realize nor are they even aware that they have been victimized. My hope is that with this poem I wrote, it can help individuals, communities, and professionals open their eyes to the realities that for some, cannot escape. Reflecting on these times of my life also allowed me to think further about the growth I have made and to accept the truth that some things will forever be a part of me however it doesn’t define me. The unfortunate circumstances I once endured can now transform into the many different ways I’m able to support, educate others, and enact change.
Artist Biography
Ummra Hang is a second generation Cambodian American, consultant, advocate, trainer, and speaker born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is dedicated to working with those who have been impacted by child sexual exploitation as well as formerly incarcerated people. Ms. Hang has an M.S.W. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in Psychology from San José State University. She focuses on research and education in anti-trafficking, particularly around the importance of trauma, the impact of narratives that are placed on people, and language/label usage. She uses her academic and lived experiences to promote the power of healing from trauma through agency, self-empowerment, and pursuing authentic selves to realize one™s passions and goals for self-sufficiency. Ms. Hang shares her story to uplift the many others who are still silent and continue breaking barriers to help others reach a place of healing and not only survive but thrive.
Survivor Leadership in California
The Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking PACT Consultant Network and the CSEC Action Team’s Advisory Board provide guidance and consultation to inform anti-trafficking programs across California’s counties. To request consultation or learn more about their respective work visit their websites.
Re-Use/Reproduction Warning
Any image, photograph, video, audio recording, written material or other artform showcased as a part the Human Trafficking Awareness Month Online Gallery, is featured with the express permission of the artist/artisan who retains sole ownership and should not be reproduced or distributed without further permission from the source, unless otherwise noted.
About Our Partnership
This gallery and live event have been made possible thanks to a collaboration between the Child Trafficking Response Team (CDSS), the Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking Project (Child and Family Policy Institute of CA), National Center for Youth Law and the CSEC Action Team’s Survivor Advisory Board .
