Fiction/General, Children's Fiction, Social Science/Ethnic Studies, African Ameican Studies
Human Trafficking, modern day slavery, is growing at an alarming
rate in third world countries and it's sprouting in the United States...Each year there's an estimated 600,000 to 800,000
women and children trafficked across international borders. Human Traffickers operate without regard to human rights
or dignity and expose their victims to great physical, profound emotional and sexual abuse...
Sarafina learns about human trafficking the hard way.
..."Shut up! Shut up!" A coarse voice yelled from the front of the frieghter. I could
barely see his veiled face but I could see the whip in his hand that went up high and came down hard. The sound of it
against human flesh made my spine tingle. I covered my ears and closed my eyes tightly fearing that I'd soon feel a
burning sensation from the strap. Then the cries and lashings began to cease...
The sun vanished completely beyond the darkened skies and the vessel was scary and gloomy.
Chiku nudged me snapping me out of my trance. I looked at her wearily. "Do you know where we're going?"
She whispered. I shook my head for no thinking she meant the work location. "I do." She declared..."To
Gabon Liberville to be slaves." This girl is crazy I thought. We were going to work..."These people are human
traffickers. They bought us from our parents and now they're going to sell us to rich people to work for free."
My eyes began stinging with hot tears and my body quivered...I was thinking I was going to work to earn money to send home
and get a better education. That's what the man who took me told my mother...
I remembered hearing the hoarse voiced man who was standing in my door, smoking a cigar and blowing
circles of smoke in the air say twenty five dollars. I thought he meant my salary...There was alot of conversation
going on with the men who I now believed were brokers for slavers...I rustled the tens of peacock colored beads that adorned
the tiny braids that covered my head. My mouth was dry and my palms sweaty. I was so hungry... Suddenly and bird
fell out of night sky unto the boat dead. I held my head but let go of my bladder...
