The following was written by Ho'ōla Nā Pua
“He told me to keep a secret. It was really, really difficult, trying to please my dad, trying to please my mom, trying to stay out of trouble, trying to go to school…there was a lot of sexual abuse. When I went into foster care, things were tough. The trauma from my sexual abuse at home was never addressed. One day I was partying in Waikiki [Honolulu] and I didn’t go home that night. There was no one looking for me. It was really easy for that trafficker to catch me- and I say that because I was already damaged. I was already broken. I got “turned out” in Waikiki when I was 15-years-old. I came back with money and he offered for me to go to Alaska.” – Tammy
Following this horrific experience, Tammy was able to escape the world of trafficking and is now an advocate and community outreach coordinator at Ho'ōla Nā Pua (HNP). Ho'ōla Nā Pua (meaning ‘new life for our children’) was founded to shine light on the dark criminal enterprise of sex trafficking. HNP places the health of Hawaii’s youth at the center of our mission and vision for our community. We are committed to the prevention of sex trafficking and work to provide care for children who have been exploited in an effort to create a community where children are safe and have the ability to embrace their bright futures. Not only does HNP offer integrated programming that reach thousands of youth, community members, and stakeholders across the state of Hawaii annually, but we’re also considered a national partner and a rising advocate in the global effort to eliminate sex trafficking, permanently. We encourage you to learn more about how we are Looking Back and Looking Forward together by visiting our YouTube Channel.
HNP is proud to have a partnership with Southwest Airlines and we appreciate the support and desire to work together to end human trafficking. To learn more about how you can support our mission and stay up to date on our first residential treatment facility for girls coming later this year, visit our website.