A female survivor of human trafficking has been supported to come off drugs following a 14-year addiction. This month she is marking one year of being sober.
Eve*, who is in her mid-30s, is a survivor of sexual exploitation. For several years, she struggled to find the right help to manage her long-term physical disability and overcome her situation.
When Hope for Justice found Eve*, she was sitting in a pile of trash, homeless, and addicted to opioids. She is now living a transformed life, free from exploitation, clean from drugs and living in safe and stable accommodation.
She said: “I was living with piles of trash around me, I had no-one to take care of me, I was hungry all the time.”
Eve’s family members had been unable to find anywhere for her to access rehabilitation facilities near their home. Eve moved to Nashville about two years ago and became homeless shortly after. She lived in various homeless encampments around the Middle Tennessee area.
“My breaking point was when I realized I was going to die in the homeless camp because I was all alone. I wanted to overdose because I kept hearing ‘no’ from everywhere – rehab, housing – and felt I couldn’t get out of my situation. I had lost all hope.”
Eve, a survivor of sexual exploitation
Connecting with Hope for Justice
That same day, Eve reconnected with an old friend who had presumed her dead. Around this time, Eve also met members of Hope for Justice’s team. We were speaking with people who lived on the streets as part of our regular outreach. On this occasion, we were conducting a joint operation with Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County’s Office of Homeless Services. We were providing people with information about human trafficking and about our services.
When we began case management with Eve, she was unhoused and using methamphetamines and fentanyl. Due to a physical disability, she was struggling to care for herself. For this reason, she was unable to attend rehabilitation facilities, despite many attempts to enrol in one.
Eve said: “When I met Hope for Justice, it was different. They sat down with me and weren’t in a hurry. They always showed up when they said they would show up, even when I did not have a phone to communicate with them. They always did what they said they would do; this had not been my experience with most other service providers.”
Olivia Messina, Hope for Justice’s Tennessee Program Lead, said: “When I met this survivor, she was in a really difficult situation. Case management has always been about recognizing that people need someone to listen to them but also just to show up and be that constant person.”
Road to rehabilitation
Eve told our team she wanted to get off drugs and move into her own home – to live in safety and stability. Hope for Justice began assisting by looking for housing and detox options.
“Everything moved pretty quickly”, Eve said. “Between Hope for Justice and my friend, they were trying to help me leave the camp as quickly as possible, which they succeeded in doing. In a private location, I was able to detox and get clean, starting my sobriety journey.”
For several months, Hope for Justice worked to find housing options for the survivor. Eventually at the beginning of this year, we connected with a local housing organization who were able to assist. Hope for Justice referred Eve to their housing coordinator and just two months later, they were able to move her into an apartment.
Finding a safe place to live
She said: “Everything happened so quickly after that point of getting clean. Olivia connected me with an organization who helped me to move into housing. Hope for Justice had already helped me get all of my documentation and in getting me ‘house ready’ beforehand, which was key.”
Olivia explained: “The survivor went from being unhoused and in a very vulnerable situation where she could not take care of herself and had nowhere to go, to being in a much better, stronger position where she was able to advocate for herself. It has been amazing to work alongside this survivor and to see the incredible transformation. It was a joy to see her recently on a stage speaking in front of hundreds of people, using her story to improve access to services and to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Once Eve was in stable accommodation, Hope for Justice assisted her with setting up a bank account, enroling at a dentist, navigating her insurance, and referred her to a therapist for counseling.
Eve said: “I would like to say thank you to Hope for Justice, my family and my partner for the support they have provided me.”
A word to other survivors
Speaking specifically to other survivors and in reference to her experiences at Hope for Justice, Eve said: “Advocate for yourself, find a service provider you are comfortable with and find one that will help you learn how to advocate for yourself. When someone sees someone doing that for them, it helps them to advocate for themselves. Find someone who believes in you; that is what helped me. When you feel like you have hit your breaking point, keep going.”
Eve hopes to advocate for individuals with disabilities and to share her story to inspire others. She also wants to raise awareness around accessibility for treatment. Another hope is to continue participating in a range of speaking engagements.
*Name and image changed to protect identity of the survivor
