THE JAMMED TRUE STORIES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING BLOG

The aim of this blog is to uncover and present TRUE STORIES of Human Trafficking and debt bondage in all its forms. We are seeking stories of victims "jammed" in slavery, of perpetrators of this crime, stories of efforts to help victims; of individuals moving to change policy, and stories of misguided efforts to help that have done further damage … in the hope that the telling of these personal stories will highlight the reality and complexity of this heinous practice, and shed light on the need for action on many fronts. Our vision is to finance this project through sponsorship and donations so that we can make the films freely available to everyone, everywhere for advocacy, campaigning, education and calls to action.

Following on from the feature film THE JAMMED we intend to select a series of stories from those posted on this blog, and produce a dramatised series of short stories

THE JAMMED is a feature film inspired by court transcripts about sex slavery and deportation in
Australia - (www.thejammed.com). The number of women and children trafficked into sexual servitude (slavery) and debt bondage is impossible to quantify, but it is estimated that between 700,000 to 4 million people are trafficked around the world annually for sexual exploitation.

This is a call for your stories.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Maria and the Mercedes Driver.

Testimony of Maria
"I'll call myself Maria in this story. This is a real story about my life and I am not the only one who could be named that name. There are many Marias like I am and that is the reason to bring this story to daylight - to stop 'Maria's Story' happens again. I come from a little village in Albania where my parents and my sisters still live. They probably think I am dead, and I hope so. It is easier than the truth; I have done things they never can imagine. I shall never see them again.

It was only four years ago when a young man from Skopje came into my father's shop. He was very polite and well dressed and he asked about life in our town. When I said there was little to do, my father asked if he was there to talk or to buy something. My father is very old fashioned and he was always protecting me from boys, which I did not like. I was almost 17 years old and did not need my father's protection. The smile the young man gave me said he understood. But he talked to my father politely, paid for some items and I saw him going away in a Mercedes Benz car. I was very angry with my father and many time think of the young man in his expensive car.



Perhaps two weeks after, the young man arrived again. This time my father was away to cafe and we talked (Later, I wonder if he watched the shop to see my father going out...). His name was Damir and he spoke of the famous cities he often visited. Rome, Paris, Madrid and many other ones, I could only dream about. I said how much I wanted to see them and Damir said how he works for a modeling agency that looks for pretty girls like I was (My face became red but I enjoyed him to say such things...). To live and work in Paris!!! If I wanted to do it, he would arrange for colleague to speak with my parents. I was very excited and said yes. Some days passed and woman entered the shop. She was Damir's colleague. Her jewelers and expensive clothes made me embarrassed of my own. She spoke to my parents and showed them a contract. I will earn certain amount of money, so much to me for living and the rest to my parents. When my father asked about safety, Vanja said how young models live together and always with chaperone. I beg them to allow me and finally my father signed. I remember he was very sad about me going away. Vanja took me to a photo shop for passport photos and said Damir hope to see me soon. I was in Heaven! The next week Vanja returned. In her car were two other girls, one gypsy girl, younger than me and another Albanian, little older. I kissed my parents goodbye. It was last time I saw them.


We drove some hours to Durres on the coast of Adriatic sea. Damir was waiting for us... The other girls knew him also and I was already jealous, but too excited to be angry. He had our new passports but told us he must keep them. It was first time I saw the sea and first time in a ship. It seemed very big and beautiful. We followed Damir, who had our tickets and travel documents. He spoke with official and gave him something before we went into the ship and down many stairs. I thought we were near the engine - the smell of oil was very strong, also rotten food and the smell of clothes not washed in long time. He said for our safety he must lock the door but will return in the morning. Two of us had to share a bed, but only for one night and next day we shall come to Italy! The sound of the engine was very loud and soon the ship was moving very fast. We wished to talk about the handsome men we are going to meet and how the girls at home will be jealous, but the bad smells and moving ship make me and gypsy girl very sick.


The next morning we arrived in Bari. Damir took us to a house where the streets are dirty and we see beggars and even rats during the day. We were nervous because we expecting something very different than that. When we enter the house it smelled as bad as the ship. There were many girl's magazines, wine bottles and cigarettes on the floor. Some men were sitting inside, they laughed and looked at us in bad way and speak to Damir in Italian, which we did not understand. I asked him who they are, but the polite young man from my father's shop grab my arm and said something very bad in Albanian. He hit me on the face. I fell on the ground and he pulled me by hair into a room and hit me more than once until my face start bleeding. I did not understand what has happened. I heard other girls screaming. And then he raped me. Than the other men came in and did the same. After that event, each day the same men came again, and then the others, who paid money to be with us. If we said no, Damir would hit and kick us and gave us no food. He said THIS was modeling we must do for anyone they say.


He paid for our passports and documents. They belong to him and to be without them in foreign country means going to prison if police find us. If we try escape, he and his friends will kill us and no one will ever know. If we succeed and go to police, bad things will happen to our families and everyone will hear we are prostitutes. He laughed and and said how we were stupid girls from farms. He asked what our parents and friends would say if they knew with how many men we have been already!? It was very cruel to make us feel ashamed for what he make us to do.


One night Damir took me and the gypsy girl to the truck and said another man own us now and if we thought he was a bad man, this man is worse, so we better do always what he says. He gave our passports to this man and we travel all night and next day until Marseille in France, where we stayed in the house with the other girls. There I learnt if I am quiet and do what he says I won't be punished and some given drugs to make them addicts. If they are bad, they do not have the drugs they wanted.


I was in Marseille almost one year and sold to a man and a woman who took me to Amsterdam. I slept in a small room with no heat and little food, sometimes only what is left over from their meals. Sometimes I did not eat for one or two days. They are drug addicts and would forget about me - except to bring men. When there were no customers, the man would hit me and burn me with cigarettes and force me to do things sometimes with the woman there also. He said this to make me remember he is the master.


I made no trouble and after some time the woman take me to carry her shopping. I liked these shopping trips with her and did everything se wanted me to do - it was wanderful to be away from my small, cold room. After some time she began to give me some small money for treats. One day I saw a poster about charity for women. I begin to pray that I will find them and they will help me. But I was frightened because I have no papers. my owners always said to me how without the passport I will go to prison and then sent to Albania if the police find me. Even after more than two years I cry with shame of my life and shame of my parents if they ever know about me.


One day the woman was looking at clothes. She gave me small money to buy a treat. But I found a telephone and with the money called the number of the charity. It was difficult to understand me but Bulgarian came to the telephone and asked where I am. SHE SAID SHE WAS COMING FOR ME !!!!!


Now I work for this charity more than one year and help girls like me. I talk to them every day, and I tell them they must make a new life. They weep very much. I also, but wait until night so they do not see. We all want to go home but we cannot. The shame for our parents and us is too large. I dreamed to be a model. Now I dream about a nice man but what man will marry me? Even if he accepts what happen to me I can never have children because of it. It is difficult to smile.


My new friends in the charity all say the girls like us must be warned. My Bulgarian friend says parhaps the way is Internet. There is little money needed for making website and my English is not good but she helps me. We hope many people will find it."


- Maria, trafficked in France & Italy, originally from Albania




Special Thanks to: Ex Oriente Lux
Website: http://ex-oriente-lux.org/acc_albania_01.html


Original Source: Human Peril

10 comments:

Diana Scimone said...

Maria, thank you for your bravery. You could have stayed silent, but by sharing your story, you'll help many other Marias from experiencing the nightmare that you did. I admire your courage.

Our non-profit organization works to stop child trafficking. We're getting ready to launch a global awareness program called the Born to Fly Project -- to educate girls, parents, and teachers about the dangers of trafficking.

You can read more at www.pawpawspals.org/notforsale

I've posted a link to your story on my blog: www.dianascimone.com

Diana Scimone
President
PawPaw's Pals, Inc.
www.pawpawspals.org/notforsale

Mission Trips said...

Maria, i am writing a report on human trafficking and i came upon your story. Thank you for sharing. You must be hurting all the time, and i am so sorry i can not express. I live a life where those things will never happen to me and i am very thankful for that, but i am very sad for the ones like you who arent as privledged as me. But there is hope for you, because Jesus Christ loves you and cares for you sooooo much. He died for you, you may not know this, but he died for you and loves you. If you would just believe, you could have peace. He would forgive you. He would be the one there for you to cry to and tell all of your sorrows to and he would listen. He comfort you and give you strength. And one day when you die, you will be in heaven with him forever. In heaven there will be no more pain. There will be no more suffering or sorrow. You will live with God for eternity. All you have to do is admit that you are a sinner and ask God to come into your life, and to be your savior. Tell him that you want him to take control of your life, and make it better. Thats all... he loves you beyond any earthly love. He wants to know you and he wants to have a relatoinship with you. You can talk to him like he is right beside you and he is your best friend. He wants you to tell him all of your sorrows, because he cares.just believe. If you believe and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you should try to get involved in a Christian Bible study. Buy a Bible. Dont just ask Jesus to be your savior and then go back to your same life, or nothing will change. Do something about it and dont be ashamed. "For God so loved that world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasing life" John 3:16
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
—2 Corinthians 5:17

God bless you. :) if you can comment back and talk to me, i would be here for you and help guide you in your relationship with the Lord.

akeme said...

Wow. I read the comment of Shelby Danielle. She is very strong in the Lord. I am saddened to read this story. Maria, you have experienced a drastic change in your life, but there is still hope and assurance for your life now and the life to come. I feel obligated to help people who are trapped in the trafficking industry. I am college freshman now, but I will be a doctor soon. I want to give aid to people like you. I believe that God has a plan for everyone who believes in Him. Please follow the advice of Shelby Danielle and create a relationship with the Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. I know you feel pain and anguish towards the world but, Jesus understands what you have been throught. Nobody else can relate like him. My life has changed because of Jesus Chist. I live with delight in knowing that I shall see Him in heaven one day. Please do begin now, if you have not done so. There are many people who are lost in this world because they don't have Jesus Christ in their life; do not be like them. May God continue to lead your life. If you ever need any help at all in the mist of your problems, please do not hesistate to email me at akemeubom@yahoo.com or Facebook (Akeme Ubom Mercer University Class of 2015)Thank you for your time.

Herley123 said...

Does anyone know what charity she called? I'm writing a docudrama about human trafficking, and we are basing it off your story. any further information will help so much.

TWISTED THOUGHTS said...

I am sorry but,some of these comments are crazy.Jesus loves you so much? Where was he at when she was being raped and beat every day?If that is love I damned sure do not want to see his hate.Oh yeah he does not need hate with love like that.I believe in God but he does not interferre here on earth.If he did he would be evil.To give some a good life with no suffering then give horrible lives to others?There is love on earth but, remember love is not one sided.Do for yourself and do not pass up opportunities,learn to know when opportunities are there for your taking.God will love give you peace only in the afterlife not here rely on yourself.treat all as you want to be treated and help whoever asks you.But,do not think Jesus will come here and help he can or will not.

Unknown said...

you should not be ashamed and avoid your parents. they obviously loved you very much, or your father wouldnt have worried for your safety and been saddened when you left. they would not make you suffer because of something you they did to you. your parents are a part of you and im sure have never stopped thinking of you, and dont think youre dead. they probably have a good idea of what happened, and watch out their door for your return everyday. i bet they want nothing more than to hug and hold you again. youre their daughter. please reconsider.

abductors will manipulate your mind that way so you will not seek your parents and friends help. DONT LET THEM WIN.

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