The Exodus Road’s Post

Have you ever wanted to know what happens undercover in the fight against trafficking? The Exodus Road has gathered countless top-secret stories as we’ve worked to bring freedom to over 2,600 exploited men, women, and children. We’re revealing some of the most powerful accounts for the first time in the uniquely immersive storytelling event DECLASSIFIED. On October 17th, you are invited to gather with us and other like-minded anti-trafficking advocates and dedicated supporters of The Exodus Road at The Clay Venues in Colorado Springs. This confidential evening will bring you into the previously unheard stories from our frontline efforts, as told by some of the investigative team who lived them. You’ll also experience original live music from Remedy Drive’s David Zach and hear directly from courageous individuals who have survived human trafficking. Get your tickets now!

When we gather to celebrate stories of freedom in Colorado on October 17th, our musical guest will be a voice much of our community will recognize. David Zach of Remedy Drive has done more than write songs about the anti-traff*cking work we’ve been doing around the world for over a decade. He’s also actively participated in that work as an undercover investigator. David has collected a wealth of stories and songs from this fight. His most recent album, Scars to Prove It, is a collection of songs born from what he’s found in even the world’s most painful places: hope. Get your ticket to hear some of David Zach’s songs and stories!

Colorado friends, do you have your tickets yet? You’re just two weeks away from hearing never-before-told stories about the fight against human traff*cking! During a special two-hour event in Colorado Springs, we will be declassifying previously confidential stories. You’ll hear directly from Matt Parker, our Chief Investigative Officer and Co-Founder. You’ll also soak in songs and stories from David Zach, an acclaimed musician who has been using his experience as a lead investigator to fuel his songwriting for a decade. We’re especially excited to share that you’ll also get to learn from survivor leader Sean Wheeler of Starfish Ministries, who uses his own lived experience to fuel advocacy for other survivors of s*x traff*cking and exploitation. We’ve never held a night like this before. You don’t want to miss it!

We’re here: the peak of Freedom Summit! Today we look back over a month of incredible challenges, personalized feats of skill and passion that have raised awareness and funds for the work of fighting human traff*cking. As we come to the end of this month of advocacy, we hope you know that you’re leaving the world better than you found it at the beginning of September. As one survivor of s*x traff*cking whom The Exodus Road supported said, “I get to think, ‘what is next for me?’ I’m so thankful to be free to think that.” More survivors will be able to think that way because of your commitment to this cause. Thank you!

Celebrate with us! This month, we marked freedom for 22 survivors and the arrest of 4 perpetrators! • More than ten men from North Africa were returned home after being traff*cked at a scamming compound in Myanmar. • 2 teenage girls were removed from traff*cking in a dangerous red light district in Latin America. • Our team supported the arrest of a midwife who was selling a 6-day-old baby in the Philippines. The baby is SAFE now. • Strong law enforcement partnerships in India led to 7 women freed from s*x traff*cking. 3 men were arrested! Thanks to every member of our community who helped secure this month of freedom!

We're hiring! The Exodus Road is seeking a Thailand Country Director. Learn more about this position and how to apply:

The fight against human traff*cking can feel heavy, even lonely. Persisting in the pursuit of freedom requires us to take moments to gather in celebration of the real headway we’ve already made. That’s why we’re inviting you to join us on October 17th in Colorado for a storytelling event we’re calling Declassified. Surrounded by our beautiful Colorado Springs downtown, enjoying craft cocktails and gourmet appetizers, we’ll celebrate stories from the frontline fight against human traff*cking. You’ll hear from investigators and survivors. You’ll connect with our U.S. staff. At the end of the night, we know you’ll be reminded that as a supporter of The Exodus Road, you’re part of a tenacious community of advocates who have the power to change the world. Will you come celebrate freedom with us? Claim your spot:

Every child deserves to be delivered into the hands of joyful caregivers on the day they are born. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality for every baby. In an impoverished urban neighborhood in the Philippines, a midwife often helped poor young women give birth at her clinic. Sometimes, they were not sure they could care for the baby. She saw this as a dark opportunity. The midwife started a Facebook page, advertising the sale of babies who were abandoned in her care. This black market form of adoption offered babies to willing buyers — few questions asked. That’s how The Exodus Road’s team heard about Jewel (not her real name). Baby Jewel was only six days old, but already the midwife was advertising her for sale on social media. For just the equivalent of $440, a buyer could take Jewel home. Working with law enforcement, we intercepted the sale of this infant. The Human Trafficking Division of the National Bureau of Investigation arrested the midwife, who is facing a potential life sentence in prison. Jewel is being cared for by social services, who will determine the safest place for her to grow up. Every little girl like Jewel deserves to be treasured, not discarded. As a supporter of The Exodus Road, you affirm that fundamental truth.

Don't miss this: you have just a few more days to get tickets for expert youth digital safety training! Why should you attend Influenced in Colorado Springs? Hear directly from parents who participated in the training recently: "We really appreciated the balanced approach. It wasn’t based off fear and going to the extreme of no devices for anyone, but it also gave well-researched concerns. We also appreciated the clear guidance on what to do next." Ready to get that guidance for your own family? Get your ticket now and join us on September 28!

Gangs run a dangerous redlight district in Latin America, overseeing drug dealing, smuggling, and s*x traff*cking by day and night. Ramshackle houses lean over the streets, their windows blacked out with paint or shuttered with chipping wood.  This is no place for children — but it’s where The Exodus Road’s Latin American team found two 16-year-old girls. Originally from Venezuela, these teenagers were threatened into providing s*xual services to customers who paid the local crime lords. Kept docile with drugs, starved and sleep-deprived, the two girls lived in a blur of abuse. Our investigators had already assisted law enforcement in recovering survivors from this area before, and they suspected that there might be more kids there. Their suspicions proved correct when they found the two teenage girls.   Police partners were able to use evidence The Exodus Road’s team supplied to locate the girls. They were disoriented and afraid, shaking with hunger and sickness. A shelter opened its doors to receive them, offering them the safety that had been denied during their exploitation. This area continues to be a place of interest. The network that traff*cked these teenagers is still out there. Our teams will not rest until all are free. Thank you for being a part of bringing these girls to safety!