Pipestone Flyer
What is Human Trafficking?
"Human trafficking is the act of forcing, coercing, or deceiving an individual into providing sex or labour for the personal gain of another" (Karen McCrae).
Over the next few weeks, this critical topic will be brought into the spotlight by the pens and hearts of individuals driven to stand against this hidden tragedy and to reach out to the countless broken lives left in its wake.
It is an issue that demands exposure, even when that exposure happens in our backyards and neighbourhoods.
Karen McCrae is the Provincial Program Coordinator for ACT Alberta (Action Coalition on Human Trafficking). Working with the Pipestone Flyer, Karen submits three separate trafficking stories based on true client referrals to ACT Alberta. Names have been changed, but the stories are true and representative of the broad scope of human trafficking in all of its ugliness.
Andraya McMaster, who will add to this ‘In The Spotlight’ series, is a university student working towards a Human Services degree with a focus on Counseling, with the intent on utilizing her training to reach out and help heal the victims of trafficking. Her heart and compassion for these individuals, often hidden and in bondage, is infectious and brings a call to all of us to do something.
It is my desire to see these stories become a catalyst for discussion and action, putting our name forward to be one of those counted among them who made a difference in the dark.
Ken Matthias
Editor, Pipestone Flyer