Recently, we shared the inspiring story of Hamisi (Ha-mi-si), a brave child trafficking survivor from Kenya who chose to drive forward in life despite a mountain of difficulties.

After the death of her parents, this bright student was entrapped and abused before learning that she was pregnant. But instead of giving in to despair, she chose rescue and pressed on with incredible determination.

You can read her full story here, but we didn’t include everything she said in that post.

Near the end of her interview, Hamisi directed her words to other girls who can relate to her pain. 

In today’s post, we want to share Hamisi’s advice and encouragement for other victims of human trafficking, particularly girls who’ve become pregnant as a result. To fully understand what she’s endured, we highly recommend reading the first part of her interview before this one for context.

Free, but haunted

As she sits during her interview, Hamisi cradles the sweet baby she once thought would stifle her future. She’s already spoken about losing her parents, about the manipulative man who deceived and exploited her, about contemplating abortion when she found out she was pregnant. But she’s also talked about the rescue agents who slowly gained her trust, her choice to accept freedom and the wonderful care she received after rescue.

But rescue isn’t instantaneous; it’s a process that’s different for every child.

For Hamisi, the freedom to get an education without the financial assistance of the man who exploited her was an incredible blessing. Unfortunately, it also presented a unique, painful new set of challenges. 

“When I was in this school, it was really hard,” Hamisi said. “People were looking and talking about me as if they knew me.”

Because Hamisi made the courageous choice to keep her child, her pregnancy became more obvious daily. Without knowing (or asking) about what led to her situation, other students made unwarranted assumptions about Hamisi’s character. 

Hamisi lowered her voice, remembering how the other students made her feel: “They were lowering my self-esteem.” 

The brave survivor was still processing what had happened to her, learning to manoeuvre through life while managing the frightful trauma she’d endured. 

Facing persecution from her fellow students and even some of the teachers made her efforts even more difficult. “Studying was so hard when people were saying rude things and bad things about (me),” she recalled, her voice thick with emotion.

“I felt so discouraged. I could not even work in the school compound,” Hamisi said. 

Ostracized by the other students, the diligent student had to study by herself. “I would sit alone, (with) a lot of pressure on my mind,” Hamisi said, frowning. “It was a really hard journey.”

No longer alone

Though her fellow students ostracised and persecuted her, Hamisi had a strong, loving support system to fall back on that wasn’t there before. 

“They encouraged me. They made sure I was in school without missing any lessons,” she said of the “Destiny Helpers”, which is how she referred to Destiny Rescue (an organisation whose rescue work in Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines Child Rescue helps fund) staff. 

At a time of such monumental stress, Destiny Rescue’s team provided her with a solid foundation of love, stability and hope that motivated Hamisi to drive forward. “They watched over me. They would come and ensure that I was safe.”

Perhaps just as importantly, Hamisi could safely confide in them.

Now, Hamisi is passionate about sharing that hope with other girls who’ve been exploited or are facing pregnancy at a young age.

“The journey of being pregnant and young is not something easy,” Hamisi said, recalling how the world seemed to close in around her. “The environment is so small for you.” 

But despite these harsh realities, Hamisi has a message to spread:

Hamisi knows the struggle. She knows what it is to feel trapped, alone and desperate for some way out. In the darkest moments of her distress, Hamisi battled thoughts of suicide. Just before she was rescued, she was making plans to abort her baby. 

But this incredibly strong girl recognises that those are empty avenues of escape, not progression. 

Instead, Hamisi implores other suffering girls to take action based on future hopes, not current struggles.

“Don’t do things that you’ll say later, ‘I wish…,’” Hamisi says. “Don’t use the term ‘I wish,’ but say ‘I must.’”

Hamisi is exemplifying that perspective. Even as she cares for her baby, she’s diligently pursuing her education in the hopes of becoming a lawyer. “… So I can defend any girl that is undergoing the same situation that I am passing through; so that I can help those girls who are molested, those girls people are using… those girls who feel like they don’t belong to the world.”

Instead of dwelling on the evil she’s suffered, Hamisi concludes the interview by accepting responsibility for her future. Her confidence and determination are a call to arms for others overcoming trauma:

If you’d like to enable other survivors to overcome, please consider joining our work. Without our donors, we can’t reach other exploited children. To rescue a child today, fill out the form below.