Survivor Quotes
In Their Own Words...
The following quotes were made by human trafficking survivors who participated in a 2009 research study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin.
"I am so grateful. I don’t know all the people. I want to tell them all thank you for helping us, because I know that they don’t only help me but all the other people, too. I want to tell them that the services have helped me a lot, a lot, a lot. I felt like I was in a hole, without exit – in a well with no way out – and they helped me to get out. You know how when they build a house, they put a foundation under it so that it doesn’t fall? That’s how they’re helping me."
"I would like to go to counseling, because part of me has not overcome everything. But I do feel much stronger than before. If you all had met me before I received all the support from [the Coalition], I think you may have felt sorry for me. When I found out that in this country I had support, actually in this country I felt safer and more supported than I ever did in my own country. That is why I love you all so much. I do not know everyone that helped me, but in my heart I love them all."
"Thank God. Thank God that all these people exist. I only know those [people] where I go for appointments. But I KNOW that behind them, there are other people that I don't know. And I want to tell them that I love them with all my heart. I don't know who they are. I don't know what their names are. But I know that I love them because they have put a little grain of sand in my life. My life has been a hell since my childhood, but here I am. Despite everything I am here, thanks to the good people God has put in my life. And for this I am so grateful. I don't know how to repay them for everything they've done for me."
"They empowered me and gave me confidence. I feel like I always had the intention of being independent, to move on my own. But I always knew that if I got a little stuck, that I could count on them to get me out, that I could call them and tell them."
"We were all trained over there (Austin). They taught us a lot. We knew we were going to be alone, so we learned how to be independent. And I do not like to depend on the government."
"Thank you for taking us into account, and it was a pleasure sharing my experience and story.