Silent No More: Fighting Human Trafficking Together

Hey everyone and welcome to another ReLaunch Live, this is going to be so good because this is very near and dear to my heart. I have known this woman for years I have respected her. I have admired her when you hear the journey she is on, it will also absolutely impact your life. It's on a topic today that, unfortunately, too many don't know enough about. And today we're going to break it down. We're going to give you actual steps that you can take so that you are going to be aware and you're going to be able to notice and then you two are you going to be able to impact and that's what it's all about. So, I would like to just put out like this big warm welcome everyone to Ashlie Bryant. She is an innovative leader, a social entrepreneur and an advocate for children globally. She founded three strands Global Foundation in 2010. To combat trafficking, leading its exponential growth, Ashlie developed protect an anti trafficking training program where she is reaching 1000s right now. She expanded three strands was seven holistic. These are going to be really interesting for all of us to really learn and embrace prevention programs placing over 868 survivors in sustainable jobs. That is the ultimate outcome. Ashlie is a renowned Speaker Now she's a consultant. She's an influencer in anti trafficking legislation. I think the last time we talked she was back in DC she has an MPA from Cornell. She advises human rights for kids and Cornell University Berg School of Public Policy, Ashlie is dedicated to uracil ating exploitation through her board positions at the Rotarian action group against slavery and this incredible, incredible foundation three strands global, she believes in the power of the human spirit and the ability of anyone to thrive and achieve.

You're listening to the ReLaunch podcast and I'm your host, Hilary DeCesare, best selling author, speaker and transformational coach widely recognized in the worlds of neuro psychology and business launches, which cultivated the one and only three HQ method helping midlife women. Yep, that's me to rebuild a life of purpose, possibility and inspiring business ventures. Each week, we'll be diving into the stories that brought upon the most inspirational relaunches while sharing the methods and the secrets that they learned along the way, so that you too, can have not just an ordinary relaunch, but an extraordinary relaunch.

Ashlie, it is so incredible. to have you on with me today. I'm so excited to share more about this important, important effort that you're putting out there.

Hillary, thank you so much. I want to have you open for me every day.

Well, here's I can be passionate because I know you so well. I actually was a board member, everyone on three strands. And the only reason I stepped down was that I had to take care of my ailing mom when she got cancer. And I gotta tell you, I am so impressed with the caliber of people that you have brought onto the board, the direction you're taking it. And in today's world, I hate to even ask this question, but human trafficking. Is it on the rise? Or are we actually are fascinating it eradicating it, I guess that would be eradicated, because that's what we really need to do. But which like what's really happening with it these days?

Yeah, so it's a great question. I think that the reality is, is we're not eradicating it. And there's it's a two fold response. Part of it is because we've raised the level of awareness so more people know actually what human trafficking is and what it's not. So because that we have more people who are knowledgeable. But online exploitation and Child Sexual Abuse material has grown immensely from 2000. Being 421 reports to just this last year to being 85 million reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. So it just hold

on, hold on for 421. And now it's at what is the number

85 million? Ah,

so let's go back because I know that there are people that want to understand what exactly is human trafficking, and then we are going to hit hard. Why has it gone up so much? So let's talk about what is it?

Yeah, so human trafficking really is an umbrella term. In the United States, we track forced labor, and then also commercial sexual exploitation. So sex trafficking and labor trafficking, those are the two that us that we track, and then Polaris that's back in Washington, DC, actually has a national trafficking hotline, and that hotline receives all those calls. There's also the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And what I just mentioned, child abuse materials, see, Sam is what we call that now. That's actually those reports go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. So those two entities in Washington, really track for us both human trafficking, right, which is labor and sex trafficking, as well as the sexual abuse material that is online. And so we, you know, when we talk about human trafficking, human trafficking globally, we use the number 40 million, that's a lot of slaves right around the globe. In the US, when we bring it home, you know, we have, you know, in 2019, there were only 529, actual prosecutions of human trafficking. So it shows this huge misunderstanding about what is human trafficking. And not only that, but what can we do as citizens to sit on a jury to know that, you know, a trafficker who is trafficking, someone needs to be convicted or held accountable for that that act, right. And so if we don't have as many prosecutions that are happening, it means that there's a gap between those who are being exploited and those who are exploiting. And so but in the US, those are our numbers that we kind of go over. The other is the International Labor Organization talks about, there's probably about 100,000, that are exploited young people day in day out in the United States. And that's probably a very low number, compared to the 40 million that are around the globe.

And when we're talking about these numbers, what ages are we talking about? Yeah,

the average age in United States of a sex trafficking victim usually is between 12 and 15 years old. And the other thing that's really important, Hillary is that this is not the movie Taken. This is not most things you see on TV, the reality is that this is a crime of coercion, it's a crime of fraud. And a crime of force. And force is usually the last of the three that happens. It's usually not violence. It's usually fraud or coercion, which is why it's hard to be able to as a victim know that you're being victimized, right? If I am have a boyfriend who's, you know, telling me that we have to pay rent. And so you know, it'd be really good if I would sleep with three of his friends, because that would pay, you know, a certain amount to pay rent. In my mind, do I know I'm a victim of human trafficking? Right? You are. But is that actually what I think? Or is it my boyfriend that's asking me to do this so that we can have a safe place to sleep? Right? Or am I homeless? And in order to be able to have food or shelter or basic necessities? You know, is there an element of being sold in order to have that provided for me? And it's not that I would get money? Right, but that I would have those basic needs provided? So it is a very complex issue. But the reality is if we can focus in on two things that sex trafficking and labor trafficking, and then is there force, is there fraud, or is there coercion, those three words really help us as citizens and individuals to know what is and what isn't human trafficking?

So your story and I'll never forget it, of why you decided to enter into this type of advocacy. It's super interesting, because there's, you know, usually something happens, right? And can you share what happened in your local area that really got you to say, Hey, I can't sit on the sidelines anymore?

Yeah. And you know, I mean, my background is in high tech marketing communications right in the valley. And we moved to Sacramento and my good friend's daughter at 17 was hanging out with a lot of other high school friends, and a man young man toy To the friended that group of friends and he was known by some of the kids as an acquaintance, but not known that he was a trafficker that he was looking for who was most vulnerable in the crowd. And as he worked the crowd for hours and hours, he figured out who was most vulnerable. Unfortunately, it was my friend's daughter. And at 17, she piled into the car with the rest of everyone to go get out ride home, but he didn't take her home, he actually took her back to his parents house where he was living. And then he sold her on Craigslist to a trafficker in the Bay Area, who held her for eight days before she was recovered by law enforcement, and then returned home and that's your sleepy suburb of Sacramento. And just you know, human trafficking happens in every zip code in the United States, no one is immune. And this is a crime that hides in plain sight we talk about and that's a perfect example, that it was someone who was looking for vulnerability, and found that vulnerability in this 17 year old girl, and then exploited it. And it's it is been a very long journey. And it is one that you know, as you said, In the beginning, we have served over 800 survivors, through our survivor program called employee plus empower.

And that would be for before you go in be, before you go into that I am positive, that there are people that are listening right now that are completely freaked out. Because that story, think about a 17 year old girl in high school, 11th grade, most likely, right? And she goes to a party, she's hanging out even a party like a get together, right? They're just hanging out. There's a boy that, you know, is not go doesn't go to the school, but people you know, he's becoming more familiar, because he's starting to show up at these events more and more. So they're like recognizing him. And then you said something interesting that he was living at home? That that blows me away. So how old was this boy who was already caught up in this in this world? 22. So he's 22. And he ends up? You know, literally, it was this the first time she had met him?

Yeah, it was the first time that she had met him. And, and the thing about it is it's so important when I talked about force, fraud and coercion, right? That piece of, we have to remember there was this coercion, right? You know, I'm a friend of all these people, and I'm hanging out, I'm safe, I'm trusted, that piece of what young people are looking for is acceptance. And they're also looking for that trust. But it's so skewed today because of our social media, that friends and trust are different than what you and I knew as friends and trust.

And that's the whole thing. So now I have to ask, as you know, this is getting more prevalent as social media is allowing for this familiarity of people, even when you're not even you know, knowing Oh, you were at that party last weekend, because they're following the social media. It's becoming an even, it seems xiety. Ridden there's there's just you're scared about your kids. And what can a mom and dad who are listening right now to this where they have kids, as you said 12 to 15 yet it does go up in age, right? It goes up. And I think that when I was when we were talking, there are even you know, college kids that end up getting involved in this. And one thing I also want to mention is it's not just tied to girls.

No, it's not. Yeah, this is not a gender specific crime. In fact, our most vulnerable are LGBTQI individuals, right? So yeah, yeah. So what

do you when you are you've done such an incredible job with bringing programs into schools to help not only the kids, but also the parents. And what's the primary message that you are trying to get out there in these school programs and Parent Programs?

So the program is called Protect. And that is such a great word, right? It is how do we not only help the student protect themselves, but the family, you know, protect their family and the community protect the community. When all of those pieces of the system whether that includes juvenile justice and social services, as well as the school and NGOs, everybody in the community is protected then your children are protected and your young adults are protected. that, if everybody has that, but it really means starts in kindergarten now, we have a curriculum in kindergarten that talks about inner voice, and what is that inner voice that a child needs to understand and identify when they don't feel safe? And what are the characteristics of a trusted adult, whatever those characteristics actually look like. Because familial trafficking, I mean, listen to that familial trafficking happens, families traffic their kids. And so if I'm a child, what are characteristics of a trusted adult, it may be my mom or dad, or it may not be my mom or dad, it may be my teacher, or my counselor or my coach, right, because they have the characteristics of a trusted adult. And then we go all the way to middle school, where we talk start talking about where curriculum talks about sex abuse, and human trafficking then enters and seventh grade, as well as physical and mental and emotional abuse as well. So you know that and then we go all the way to 12th grade, where we talk about empowering and building, building resilience being an upstander instead of a bystander as a peer, and really stepping in.

Well, one thing we have to go to our short break right now, but I want to come back and I want to go through some of these levels, because you're really, this is a national program. Now, this is one that is going into all different types of schools in different areas. So we're gonna, we're gonna quickly take a quick break. And when we come back, we're to hear more about what you actually teach and what we all need to be looking out for. This episode is brought to you by my very own labor of love my most recent book relaunch. This book is a collection of my stories, other stories and as a motivational guide to living a new three HQ lifestyle, sparking your heart to ignite your life. It's available for purchase via Amazon, get ready to try on the three HQ method that I've been using for years, throughout my entire life, reaching the next level in all areas, both professionally and personally. Get your copy today at www dot the relaunch book.com Welcome back, everyone. And you know, this conversation that I'm having with Ashlie Bryant is a hard one. It's one that makes us all just, you know, feel sick, that this is even in existence right now. But without people like Ashlie, literally on the front line trying to take care of it. You know, the numbers are staggering. They're going up human trafficking, sex trafficking for these young kids, average age 12 to 15, boys, girls, you name it. And I it just is something that you have to be able to be aware of the signs. And as we were talking, Ashlie, before break, we said that this program, you have thought like heck to get into as many schools as possible, as you said, starting in kindergarten going all the way up how many schools and I've heard there's an estimation of what like 4300 schools in the US right now is that the stellar hasn't gone down, maybe because of some of the things in the US. How many are you really in how where are these kids hearing this important message?

Yeah, so we've reached over 768,000 Kids, so almost a million kids. Yeah. And then over 100,000, teachers, counselors, who are actually teaching this to the students, and that's an important component to Hillary is that they see these kids day in day out, they interact with these kids, they understand when they go into the classroom, that you know what's happening in their family life, what's happening with their homework, and where they are from a social perspective. And when they are the ones to teach when we've trained them to teach, then they have insight that that we don't always have. And I think that's an important piece of the protec program, too, is that it's delivered by those who know those kids best.

That's great, great training the teachers and how are you right now, taking this knowledge? I love that you're starting in the school at a young age so you can build on the curriculum as they go. Yeah, I do know, everybody has a program that they're trying to get into the school systems, right. It is one of the most challenging things and you done it. Which means that as you the numbers show, it's gotten so out of control. And I go back to can you help us what you're teaching these kids give us some of the biggest takeaways for us as Parents that we can watch for because, again, if we're not noticing it, the teachers are so busy right now, you know, we just got out of COVID. And people are going back in and there's so much on the plate, we have to be monitoring our kids, we have to be looking for these signs. So please share what some of those look like.

Yeah, absolutely. So I think as parents and caregivers, the most important thing is social media. What Hillary mentioned before is to be monitoring social media, the reality is that social media is not going to go away. And so if it's not going to go away, and they are not held accountable as tech companies to make sure that your kid is safe, and it's up to us, as parents and caregivers to make sure they're safe, that phone more than likely is paid by parents. And so you have the ability to be able to check in to see what's happening, whether it's through text or social media, to know all those different apps, kids do use, you know, secret, different accounts for Facebook and all that. But you know, there are different apps that can help you to make sure you know what those are. And I would really strongly encourage that, as parents and caregivers that you do that, number one, first and foremost. And the second is that you have open conversations with your kids, whether that means you sit on the front porch, and you just, you know, you talk about the day or you go for a walk or you sit at the table and you have a conversation about what's happening outside, but open conversations where they feel like they can come to and not if something they've done is a disappointment that they can actually feel safe to be able to share that with you. So we talk about open conversations really,

before you go on, I have to I have to share with you something that I did with my kids from a very young age, that even today when they're in their mid 20s We are still doing it will still come up and it is called the Rose Thorn bud. And the roses when you talk about the highlight of your day the thorn is hey, what didn't go so Wow. And then your bud is what you're looking forward tomorrow. It's non threatening, and you get into the habit of doing it. And all of a sudden, it's like I said, we're at dinner even at a restaurant a few months ago. They're like Rose Doran by Lexus, you know, it's a great way to just start the conversations. It's so good. So I love that part of it of open communication. It's so important.

And as parents and caregivers we often forget, we are the best, most trusted adult that that you that your child has. And so, so important for that. But as signs if for some reason your child is on social and starts to isolate themselves, or talk about a boyfriend or girlfriend they've met online, those are really big red flags, right? So that is an opportunity to be able to not only look at social media, but and even gaming, right? We know that our boys are being accessed by perpetrators, you know, through gaming. So to be able to ask questions about, hey, who's the friend are gaming with we were at an event this weekend, Hillary were a couple said, You know what, we usually our son has his earphones on, but all of a sudden he didn't. And we heard a voice. And we said, hey, who is that? And he said, Oh, it's my friend. And they said no, no, no, that is not that is a man, they knew it was a man's voice. And it was it was a man. So things like that when you have connection with your kids. And believe me working full time and having lots of things and lots of kids, it's a juggle, but prioritizing 510 15 minutes a day of that space where it's quiet, and you can do rose bed Thorn, or you can do the open conversation is such an important piece of keeping kids protected and safe. The other thing is, if your daughter's, for some reason have two cell phones, big red flag, because traffickers will give their victims a second cell phone and that cell phone has a connection to them. It's the dependence on them. And so that's another red flag, multiple hotel room keys, you know, the the plastic keys, that's another one or you know, parents or caregivers say hey, you know, got multiple keys. Well, that's another one. And then where they've been talking and looking at you in the eyes, and then they can't, they can't look you in the eye and one. Those are some of the red flags.

And so let's talk about what actually happens when a child is just getting initiated into this, like, what from the other side? What are they doing with the kids because I know they're allowed to go home. And they're, as you said, you know, coercion, like they're they're not saying anything when they get to the house. So can you help us understand what does life in the light of you know, this first encounter to the beginning stages of what would happen?

Yeah, so grooming is the term right so this individual this trafficker is going to groom this, this individual, and for dependence on them, right, whether that's emotional dependence or love dependence, acceptable, whatever that dependency is, whatever the vulnerability was that they exploited, that's what they're grooming that individual for, so that they may run away with that that trafficker, they may not they may be at home and, and the shame that the trafficker uses, because whether it's images, or it's something they've done to have to tell their parents, they don't want to, they could live under their own home, and be keeping that secret, right? So the grooming process is we call it caging of the mind, because it really is that traffickers goal is to cage the mind, so that they trust only them. And no longer do they trust those trusted adults are those characteristics of what was that just little in their life. And so that's the most important term I would tell you. And then the other piece of it is, is that, you know, there can be self harm that that child starts doing, or lashing out or bad grades, right? There's all sorts of things that will start to surface as a result of that that child or that young adult being exploited.

Now, are we talking drugs? Are they using drugs in this process? What's happening around that?

Absolutely. In fact, a lot of times they will addict they will get someone and start that addiction, really, you know, because that's another dependence, right? What is the vulnerability? And how can I keep them connected to me? Because the money I mean, the amount of money that traffickers make, is crazy. And you know, and traffickers know that, you know, from one to the other, sort of who's who they have the call, oftentimes, it's, it's a little bit historic, but the stable, right, who's in there stable, and who are they exploiting, and it's an ownership, they feel like they own that person. And they provide for that person, whether that's, you know, one, one individual who is a trafficker who I interviewed said, I'll be a social worker, I'll be a chiropractor, I'll be whatever it is, that that person that my needs, I'll be for that individual. So they, they they want to be they're so smart and savvy, and they want to be they're growing their business, it's a business for them.

And so you mentioned that it's very difficult to prosecute, it's difficult. Why is that? Why is it so hard?

Well, part of it is think about for a second, and literally and your listeners too, if I have been exploited, and the shame that goes around with that, and I have to actually face my trafficker who may have threatened me with my life or my family's life, to have to go and actually testify with that person sitting right there. And let alone if I am vulnerable, because I'm homeless, or I'm vulnerable, because I've been addicted to substance in some way, whether that's alcohol or drugs, all of a sudden, my anxiety and everything else is gone through the roof. And the consequences for a trafficker to to actually be in prison for very long with good behavior isn't as long as sometimes survivors feel like they would actually want. And so the fact that someone might be back out, and what does that mean for me or my family? Right, there's so much complexity in that space. And why is that not always prosecutable, or that's not prosecuted, it is prosecutable. But it's not prosecuted all the time. And the other pieces that we make it difficult for prosecutors to actually do sometimes and law enforcement to do their jobs. You know, we want to decriminalize prostitution in the state of California. What Why would we do that? Because no, we've just made it so that trafficking will explode. If we want to decriminalize survivors and victims, 100% We leave as we stand stand behind all of that. But when we do things, we have to be really mindful about legislation that we have out in the world. And any state

for that. That seems crazy. I mean, I'm listening. And I'm like, Are you kidding? That is something new that I did not? I've never heard that before. That is absolutely crazy. So when a person if they did get convicted, what how much time are they really looking at behind bars?

I mean, State of California, we increased it from to nine to 12 years for the state and it's up to 20 years federally. So if it's a federal sentence, and the feds are involved, it can be longer. And it's even for minors, it could be up to life. But it's very rare to see those that type of sentencing. And you have to be I mean, part of it in you know this because you sat on the board. You know, I spent two years interviewing those who were the perpetrators of this crime and or had family that was a part of this crime, and then obviously 1000s and 1000s of survivors. And and what I realized in that is that survivor voices As one weren't heard or listened to on how we solve this problem, which is paramount. So that piece has been integrated into all of our prevention programming. But I also learned that as children, the trafficker and the survivor often have very similar beginnings, right? Sometimes, you know, within that context, there's a high percentage of abuse, there's high percentage of domestic violence, there's a high percent of gun violence and drugs. And so when that happens, and a child is in that space, there are those later on, that's where we see some of this victimization as well as perpetration happening between you know, from a survivor and and trafficker.

Has this actually become even more prevalent? Because of our with COVID? What, what happened during that, because I did hear child abuse, the numbers are staggering, that it went up during COVID. What happened with human trafficking?

Yes, same thing, right? We traffickers didn't stop trafficking, when COVID hits that didn't in fact, we are seeing just like I shared with you in the beginning, that you know, the children, the child abuse material that's out there sexual abuse material, it is just accelerated as well as trafficking. So I think it's really important. Again, going back to your first question that as caregivers and parents, we are aware, as peers and family members, we are aware, so that we can step in, to be able to say, hey, you know, I noticed that you know, this person was but you know, talking about this person, who is this person just dive a little deeper, be curious, you know, Curiosity is an okay thing. And then you can sort of you can evaluate, is this a safe person? Or is it not a safe person that you're in your child is interacting with?

So I just got, I just got to the Bay Area, San Francisco, and in the bathroom stalls at the SFO, there's a notice that says, if you see something that is, you know, suspicious to text this number. When we come back, I'd like you to help us understand is there is there a way to decrease trafficking, sexual trafficking, human trafficking? And is that a good place to start? So when we come back, we'll go right into that. This episode is brought to you by my very own labor of love my most recent book, relaunch. This book is a collection of my stories, other stories, and is a motivational guide to living a new three h q lifestyle, sparking your heart to ignite your life. It's available for purchase via Amazon, get ready to try on the three HQ method that I've been using for years, throughout my entire life, reaching the next level in all areas, both professionally and personally. Get your copy today at www dot the relaunch book.com. Hey, welcome back, everyone. And although this is a tough conversation we're having about human and sex trafficking of young, young, young children, I mean, really, that age of 12 and up, it's just it's one that is truly sickening. But there are people like Ashlie Bryant that are putting her heart and soul into this creating programs like protect, to really get kids at a young age growing up with the knowledge around it so that they can avoid getting themselves in situations. But one thing that I wanted to ask is, as I said, I was in the airport restroom. And of course, there's those signs and we see them. But what are I mean, they say if there's something suspicious, or if you notice something? I mean, how do you really notice something like that? Can we be advocates on the street out in the world helping these kids?

Yeah, absolutely. So the one thing I will say is that some of the signs I shared earlier you can look for but if you're anywhere, don't intervene, get law enforcement. They're the they're the one center gain. And here's the reason why survivors have shared for many years that they are often punished when someone tries to intervene. And so when you see something with those posters, more than likely said was to call a national Trafficking Hotline or if someone's in imminent danger, then call 911. Right, and that's exactly what we tell everyone. If you see something that you think someone is in imminent danger, if you hear of a youth that is going on an aeroplane to meet somebody that they've met online that they've never seen actually in person, then that would be something that you would call the airline you would have bit so that someone was meeting on the other end to be able to see was this person actually a legitimate friend? Or was it someone who's a perpetrator, right, those type of things. But it's important to know the national trafficking hotline, that's the other one, and I actually jotted it down so you guys would be able to hear it. It's 1-888-373-7888. So and you know, afterwards, we can put that in the notes too. But

the national, definitely put it in the show notes.

Yeah, is a great place to be able to say, Hey, I see something, I'm not sure what to do. They might say to you, you know, what, call TSA and have them actually come and explore. In fact, I'll tell you a funny story. I was going to the airport with my daughter when she was 14, were in two different lines. And I purposely looked at her and I said, Grace, just keep walking. And she's like, Mom, am I going to be a test dummy? I said, just keep walking, because we had trained all the TSA agents at the Sacramento airport. And so she went through and the TSA agent stopped her. And he said, Hey, who are you here with? And who's your parent or caregiver? Which is exactly right, right. As an agent and someone who had been trained to know what to do that was the right question. And she said, That's my mom over there, you probably were trained by five, three strands, you know,

that is so great. But those types

of things, if you see something, you have lots of places to call, to be able to get help. If you are a parent, you know, there's a healthy intervening it is a loving intervention, right? To be able to say, I am really worried about your online relationship, or I'm really concerned or let's take a walk because I just want or take five deep breaths, right? I just want to be able to know about what's going on in your life and who you're close to these days. Because if someone who loves you, and you're connected to if someone is trying to disconnect you and isolate you, you will notice that and you will you as a child, we've heard they know, and are able to say, wait a minute, this is my parent who actually trust Why is this person trying to get me away from my parent? Right. So anyway, but I think when it

that's a great, that's a great point, right there. I mean, if you think about it, but that's a great thing that you're teaching in the schools. Let me ask you, though, from a, you've been doing this now 13 years, and or longer, actually, right around 1313? Yeah. And when you think about the, yeah, the numbers that are just like skyrocketing. Do you believe that we can really end human trafficking and sex trafficking? I don't know

if it's in your lifetime or my lifetime, but I think it our kids they can. And I think part of it is we have to systematically you and I've had this conversation so many times Hillary, but it is a system problem, right? We have child welfare that's not connected to, you know, the schools in a way to actually make sure that it's the kids are protected. I mean, yes, can a teacher say that I need someone to come and that we need foster care for this child? Yes, all those systems exist. But the interconnection between them needs to be at a deeper level, if we're really going to protect our kids. And there, there needs to be more bridges built instead of silos built right. And that's, that's something that has to happen. In order for us to end this crime. We also need to address the demand, we need to address those who are within sex trafficking, not necessarily labor trafficking, but sex trafficking, we need to address who's buying our individuals, our kids are young adults, you know that from a in most of those are male, right. But we need to address that like what is about what is that? And why is that happening? And how do we make sure that those who are buying understand that those are victims, they're buying, it is a victim? That's and it's human trafficking, that needs to and then legislatively, we need to address this, we need to hold tech companies accountable for helping grow businesses of those who are perpetrating? I mean, they don't let malware on they don't let pornography stream so couldn't we make sure that our kids were protected in that way too? Right. From legislation? All right.

I, you know, how I feel about this having run a company called you know, ever lived to keep kids safe online. And it is truly an uphill battle. And I admire you so much, because you've gotten this program into schools. And if you think about the Mad programs, drinking and driving, how, you know, you first put it into the schools, it takes time, it takes time for this kindergarteners to you know, have it be year over year added, you know, the foundational levels each you know, continuing every year. Now, how many years has protect been in the schools so far?

So we launched protect in 2016 in the very beginning, but we've been doing prevention education since 2010. So we actually came together with two other nonprofits Frederick Douglass family initiatives and law Never fails to create the original protect program. We're about seven versions from that now and three strands manages and as the fiscal agent for the protec program, but that, again, is an example of collaboration to be able to break down systems that are exploiting rather than to be in silos, right? So very much a three strands. management philosophy is how do we all sit at the table to eradicate an end this heinous crime instead of staying in silos and not building bridges? Because that's a very important piece.

And so when you look at corporations, you know, they are really trying to put money behind good causes. And it would be so impactful if, at a corporation perspective, they started to put money towards local schools to help with the identification to put protect into these school systems. Are you currently working with some of the bigger corporations? How are you funding? The actual protect program?

Yeah, it's great. So most of them are grants. And they are through corporate grants via Wells Fargo has been a longtime donor. BlackRock has been, you know, there's multiple, but not as many as we need, right. So if you are listening, and you have a company or a leader, executive management, I would encourage you to reach out to me through LinkedIn, or the three strands website, three strands, global foundation.org, because funding prevention is so important, and it's not the first thing when we read when we want to eradicate human trafficking, it's not the first thing that's funded drug services are and we have a drug services program that we love and need funding for do but prevention is a space that's not necessarily first. Now, I will tell you that on our federal level, because we're a national program in multiple states, that we actually helped to pass legislation and support legislation that would help to fund some schools and some districts, but it's not all the schools, not the 1000s of districts across the US and the 6.2 million kids can't be reached. So we need that fiscal help.

6.26 point 2 million kids and you're about to hit the million mark of helping, I mean, how do we get the expansion happening as quickly as possible? Because, as you've said that, you know, this is something that with, with a prevention to be able to understand coercion, fraud force, it's it can change the outcome of kids getting involved, what happens after a child when you can, because I think you also now and just correct me if I'm wrong, but you, you take from prevention, all the way to the what if scenario, God help us all you have you find a child? How do you how do you help them get back on their feet again?

Yeah, so we implemented in 2016, as well, the employee plus Empower program, and that's for 16 year olds all the way to 60 year olds, we've served 868 survivors and at risk individuals and placed them into sustainable jobs with an 80 plus percent retention rate. And, and part of that program is to not just offer to help them to find a pathway to careers, but also pathway to education. So we have those in our program, our clients that are you know, choosing to go to school or back to school, or they're choosing to go to a pathway and having a job, but it allows them to have financial stability, and potentially for the first time, and that means that their trafficker no longer has that control that you and I talked about early on in this discussion, right? They have their own it, they're empowered to live their lives free from exploitation. And so that program is in San Francisco, Sacramento, and also San Jose. And that's a program that we have is a California Program, whereas the protec program and our other prevention programs are national programs.

So at this point, I mean, 13 years, you've been doing this, and you have come so far, how do you keep going? How do you when you're fine, and you're you're you're in the middle of of this heavy, heavy situation, you're the worst things that can be happening to children. How do you elevate yourself? How do you elevate your energy? How do you just keep it all going?

Yeah, it's a good question. So I hope, right, the stories that we hear the hundreds and 1000s and 10s of 1000s of stories. We actually have over 37,000 stories from teachers and counselors that are not just one sentence or two, but sometimes pages that tell us what they under Stand happened in the classroom now because of the Protect training, that they have intervened, that the 14 year old in their classroom is no longer exploited by someone online, right things like that, as well as our survivor clients successes, where they have a job and are thriving and are promoted and make more than I probably do in a year annually. Those are the stories that just our hope for me and my faith grounds me, right. And the reality of knowing that, for me that there is always hope there needs to always be that that conversation around hope, especially for our vulnerable populations.

So for people and I often talk about the three HQ head, heart higher self and how impactful this is in everyone's life. And part of the higher self is being able to show gratitude and appreciation and get involved in, in giving back in your jeez, on this giving back. How can people today, get involved in your organization?

Yeah, well, I would love for everyone who's listening to go to our website first and look at all the things that we do. Because it's, as I said, national, if you are in a state where we are needing the Protect program to be in schools, you can actually be the the impetus for a school district superintendent to say we want protect here to to protect our kids. And if you are a local person who is in whatever, wherever you are California or Utah, Texas, Georgia, all the other states that we work in, you could also be a monthly donor, right, that's another space that you could step in, and you could give to the work that we do around prevention. And that would be huge. Because our monthly donor program, we'd love to grow from where it is exponentially. And if you're a corporation who's listening and you are leaning in, I encourage you to reach out and say we want to be part of the solution to prevent human trafficking, we want his help to end us and tell us how we can be a part of that. So there's lots

and I do want to mention that some people might be thinking, Oh, the lower economic growth schools, this program literally should be an every school, every location, as you said, Ashlie, there, you know, this, this hits every area. And what you found with the 17 year old friend's daughter is that it was a it was a up class, upper middle class type of environment, right? I mean, this is it doesn't play like into certain areas. It's everywhere.

Yeah, no, it's true. And I think that our vulnerable are always most at risk, right? Because of traffic or sees that these are their words as low hanging fruit, which is terrible. But that's the reality. And then, you know, vulnerability, though, from doesn't matter where you live necessarily. You can be vulnerable for all different types of reasons. And so yes, it is so important for our Title One schools, our vulnerable populations to be able to have this should be in all schools, but also those who are being exploited. It doesn't discriminate on age, race, or socio economics, right. This is a crime that hides in plain sight. So,

Ashlie Bryant, thank you so much for being here and sharing what you do, how you're impacting the team that support you, the volunteers. It is a massive organization, all of the teachers and now getting the parents involved. It is just, I mean, this is how we change and impact the future of these kids in human trafficking and sex trafficking. So thank you again, for everyone listening, look at the show notes, go over to three strands. And please get involved make this your mission to keep every single kid safe out there. Again, this is a relaunch live and we will see you next week with another incredible story. Take care everyone.