Fil-Am advocate urges people to ‘see something, say something’ against human trafficking

Screencap from NJ Villanueva/YouTube

“Be blessed, well, and safe.” These were the concluding words of a Filipina-American advocate, as she penned her message on the website of her nonprofit in Virginia, United States.

Naomi Estaris has been recognized as one of the 2023 Community Heroes by the Coastal Virginia Chamber of Commerce (CVCC) for her dedication to combating the grave issue of human trafficking through “ENJEWEL.”

Since its inception in 2018, her organization embodies its mission, which is encapsulated by the meaning of its acronym: Equality and Justice for Every Woman Every Land. For years, they have been diligently working to raise awareness and provide support to survivors.

“We do the work because it is a purpose and a call. Each of us has a calling and to receive His (God’s) calling, heed His word, and respond to the calling is so important for a purposeful life—and that’s what we did,” Estaris said as she delivered her acceptance speech.

“Every country we went to, there was a problem. And what the problem was, it was normalized… and I said, ‘we cannot have that,’” she continued.

The fight against human trafficking remains a global challenge, given the alarming data from the Hope for Justice organization, which reports 6.3 million people in forced sexual exploitation, with 1.7 million of them being children.

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Quoting the words of the ENJEWEL founder, she emphasized the significance of the “see something, say something” approach, stressing the importance of not ignoring these issues “so that [they] won’t be normalized in our backyards.”

Naomi Estaris persists in leading the fight against this crime, envisioning a world where every woman and every land experiences equality and justice.