Creative conversations: survivors forum recap
It is not often that survivors of human trafficking get opportunities to come together in person and that is why September 30th was such a powerful day for our Peer Advocacy team here at Restorations when we hosted the Creative Conversations Survivors Forum. This event was a collaborative gathering to inform the development of our educational toolkit: “The Empowered Caregivers Project: empowering caregivers to support survivors well.” While participants crafted, my Peer Advocate colleague and I facilitated conversations around experiences of being cared for as survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
I treasure the gift that connection brings. It was such an honour and privilege to be in a room with my fellow peers and share our own truths and reflect on how each of our own experiences, personalities and interactions have really shaped our own healing journeys. What stood out the most was the compassion, care and respect that was displayed as we all silently acknowledged how hard it can be to share these intimate moments of our lives; the overall desire and consensus amongst us was that by sharing our own experiences, we are in the unique position to help safeguard youth and provide better care for victims who are currently entrenched in this heinous crime.
The day was the perfect mix of good company, amazing food and the ability to craft and create artwork with such powerful meaning – all while sparking ideas of change, growth and opportunity for those who intend to provide care to victims and survivors in our own communities.
Beauty comes in so many different forms and to share space with such a beautiful group has been a highlight of my year. I value these individuals for their own strength and their hearts to help. We shared and reflected on vocabulary such as “strength,” “resilience,” and “recovery.” As I commuted home, I was able to reflect on how fortunate I was to get to experience a roomful of truth, power, and transparency. We all have walked such different and unique paths both through our exploitation and into our healing journey, but we all have an unspoken shared understanding, and this shared experience is healing in its own. The Survivor Forum provided me with such hope that with the voices and input of those with lived experience, the Empowered Caregivers Toolkit will be a powerful resource to equip personal and professional caregivers to better support survivors.
To all my fellow survivors: I thank you for your openness, transparency and vulnerability. Your words have left an everlasting impression on my own heart. I know by being so sacrificial to show up and share, you will help shape the hearts for those who intend to provide care in a meaningful and purposeful way. The impact you extend to those who work with victims and survivors of human trafficking and exploitation is invaluable and your voices make a true difference.
This blog post was written by Michelle, a Peer Advocate with Restorations.