While looking for a job on Craig’s List in the non-profit section, Clarkston High School graduate Kristin Horstman came across an ad, which read ‘abolitionist needed.?
‘I was like ‘oh that sounds cool? so I clicked on it and she (Rebecca Salazar) has this grassroots thing going, where she was just going door to door spreading awareness about human sex trafficking,? she said. ‘Her plan was to do small grassroots fundraisers throughout the community and take the money and send it to other larger organizations doing what we’re trying to do right now.?
By joining forces, Horstman and Salazar decided to expand and grow the grassroots campaign into an actual non-profit organization called ‘International Alliance of Hope? based in Kalamazoo.
Their goal is spread awareness of sex trafficking, as well as offering women a solution to get out and get help.
“We are focusing on international and domestic victims,? Horstman said. ‘Human trafficking when people think about it they just think of the international aspect of it, people from other countries being trafficked into the United States, but it really does happen to our own women and children in our communities and people just don’t hear about it.?
She said prostitution is a form of sex trafficking because the majority of the women who are prostitutes were forced into it.
Part of their goals is to start a prevention program, by going into the local schools and talking about human trafficking in general as well as an outreach program.
‘We would go out into the streets of Kalamazoo and establish relationships with the prostitutes, hand out care packages, and let them know people care about them,? Horstman said. ‘We want to help them to be successful and self-sufficient in another avenue and we can help
them with that when they’re ready, because a lot of these women don’t realize they’re being trafficked.?
Their long term goal, she said is to establish a shelter where women can come for as long as they need to get their lives on track because most shelters are only for four to six weeks.
‘For someone who is been trafficked for years, you can’t take them out of that situation for four weeks and expect someone to get their life together in that short amount of time,? she said. ‘We want to have these women come to our home and actually allow them to become self-sufficient, so if they need to be there for a year then, we’re going to let them stay for that long, so they can get professional developmental training, counseling and things like that.?
For the time being, Horstman said they have developed relationships with other non-profit organizations around the area, where they can send women to get help.
Horstman said she wanted to get involved with Salazar because she is really interested in social justice and international development. Her master’s degree from Western Michigan is going to be in International Development Administration. She received her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University where she studied political science.
‘Human trafficking is a $32 billion a year industry, it used to be the third largest, now it’s the second largest behind weapons,? she said. ‘You hear about trafficking weapons and drugs and stuff into the country and you’re smuggling them in, but you don’t here about the human aspect, to me that’s the most atrocious.?
For more information visit www.internationalallianceofhope.com.