Human Trafficking on the Alliance Radar

Ideas, resources, stories, and new connections shared, and a network is born: “The Alliance Network Against Human Trafficking.”

I was surprised to see the email in my inbox. When God called and sent me and my family to Spain in 2019, anti-human trafficking work was not on my radar. After having served with the U.S. Alliance for more than 25 years in France and Morocco, our plan was to continue our work among Moroccan immigrants in Spain.

Little did I know what that work would entail. For me, it started with a phone call from a government-subsidized Christian safe house, asking if I could come in to do Arabic translation for a Moroccan woman who had just been rescued out of sex trafficking. She couldn’t speak a word of Spanish. I would meet with this woman and the human rights lawyer to collect her story.

That first encounter, that first story, would forever change my life and my ministry. That first translation appointment soon became weekly visits to the safe house. I would walk alongside broken and traumatized survivors—all women from Morocco who were recruited to pick strawberries in the fields of Spain and then lured into sex trafficking. Eventually, that work would evolve into a collaboration between the U.S. and Canadian Alliance, as I and my project partner and professional artist began a project called “The Strawberry Girls.” The project would include 80 beautiful pieces of artwork to accompany my poems and short stories, in hopes of spreading the message and raising awareness of human trafficking in Spain and around the world.

Anti-human trafficking work was now on our radar and in our daily inbox. We thought we were alone in that—alone in the Alliance. Until I received that email in my inbox.

Mark Jones, the director of Relief and Development of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Canada, asked us if we were interested in joining a group Zoom call with other Alliance workers involved in anti-human trafficking work. It was an immediate and excited “Yes!”

“Having visited three anti-trafficking ministry locations in Asia and Africa in the span of a few weeks,” Jones stated, “it struck me that there is really very little dialogue and interaction across ministries.” Mark continued, “I then did a mental review of all the places I am aware of that some part of the Alliance is involved in this work, and it seemed like a good idea to see if those working in those ministries would see any benefit in an online gathering to share what they are doing and receive encouragement from their peers in other parts of the world. The answer was a resounding yes, and so the meeting happened.”

Fifteen international workers from the Canadian and the U.S. Alliance, representing work in eight countries, attended the online gathering on January 28, 2024.

We all agreed that this work is too hard, too heavy, too challenging, and too painful to do alone. We need each other.

We made introductions, voiced ideas, shared resources, told stories, and formed new connections, and a network was born: “The Alliance Network Against Human Trafficking.”

Goals of the network include creating a database to share resources such as books, videos, and training materials. The partnership will also facilitate the translation of materials, share experiences, brainstorm, provide a learning space to ask questions, offer gifts and skills, support and encourage one another, provide opportunities for self-care, equip workers in trauma ministry, and write and publish a book of collected stories from international workers around the world.

This first meeting of the new Alliance Network Against Human Trafficking made me realize that we are not alone here in Spain in this anti-human trafficking work. We may be spread out across the globe. We may have thousands of miles and multiple countries and bodies of water separating us, but we are in this together.

The Alliance has human trafficking on its radar. What about you?

Marci and her family have been serving with The Christian and Missionary Alliance in the United States for 25 years in France, North Africa, and Spain, working among immigrants and refugees. She also leads the orality and storytelling work of the U.S. Alliance. Marci is a language teacher, coach, speaker, and published author of seven books for adults and six children’s books about Third Culture Kids. You can find her at https://culturalstoryweaver.com/. Marci and her project partner, Kim, are also using art and words to tell the stories of “The Strawberry Girls – Selected Poems and Drawings,” about rescued survivors of human trafficking. You can learn more at www.strawberrygirls.org.