Since 2014, Allies has been facilitating prevention education groups with girls at-risk for trafficking utilizing the My Life My Choice curriculum. While the groups are only 10 weeks long, the program is jam-packed with conversations on healthy relationships, building trust, recognizing recruitment tactics, identifying resources, recognizing self-worth and practicing advocating for themselves and others. We have been honored to walk with hundreds of girls utilizing this curriculum. Lindsay Price, one of our newer facilitators, shares about her experience facilitating a group this spring with her partner facilitator, Schawayna Rayford.

 

  • Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been facilitating My Life My Choice (MLMC).
Hi! I’m Lindsay Price. I’ve worked in the anti-trafficking arena for roughly 12 years. Formally, I was the Assistant Director of TRU Harbor and am currently managing the Human Trafficking Housing Program through the Damien Center’s Housing Assistance Program. I became a Mentor with Allies in 2021 and quickly knew I wanted to facilitate a MLMC group! I have experience in housing MLMC at TRU Harbor and witnessed the impact it made on the residents of the program. I just finished co-facilitating my first group and am so blessed for this opportunity.
  • Describe the MLMC program from your perspective – why is it important?
By doing this work and serving this phenomenal community of people, I believe MLMC’s survivor-led roots along with their realistic approach to harm and risk reduction encourage our youth to engage in conversation rather than youth feeling “spoken to”. It’s important to involve our community of youth in an ongoing conversation instead of bullet-pointing “do’s and don’ts” and expecting youth to follow through. Youth have such a great perspective and this curriculum allows for youth to be experts on themselves while developing a safe relationship with an adult.
  • Do you have a favorite moment from this last group you facilitated?
When a 16 year old responds to a journal entry: “I haven’t thought about it like that”, it’s a win in my book. A safe relationship between participant and group facilitator can lead to tough but necessary conversations; this specific journal entry regarding feeling loved and accepted while advocating for boundaries. Establishing an environment and a space for someone to feel safe and comfortable in vulnerability is precious and for someone who has endured trauma, this can feel impossible. So, having the opportunity to talk these subjects through with a youth, is my proudest moment to date.
  • Can you share something you learned about your co-facilitator during this last group?
I can list 109180234 things! Ms. Schawayna is gifted and talented beyond measure. She leads with integrity and follows through with passion.
  • What else would you like people to know about the program?
It’s needed; across all communities. Speaking about trafficking and its woven web into the structures of our society is important to discuss. We cannot continue to keep these conversations secret or pretend as though this doesn’t exist. We cannot end human trafficking if we don’t talk about it.