Engedi Refuge is dedicated to serving women who have been exploited by sex trafficking. Over the years, many of the women we have served were first exploited as children. This troubling fact underscores the importance of prevention efforts, especially for vulnerable youth.

Human traffickers often target youth to groom them into a life of sex trafficking. They can use lies, threats, and violence to manipulate and exploit them. As youth travel to and from school, church, and to sports and other activities, they often use public transit buses, school buses, or rideshares. These public transportation systems can be an opportunity for community members to spot the warning signs of human trafficking to help youth avoid potential exploitation.

That’s why for the month of May, Engedi Refuge is partnering with Truckers Against Trafficking to participate in Youth on Transportation Safety Month. We’re sharing a social media campaign to help local youth, parents, schools, churches, and community members learn how human traffickers target youth and the warning signs to watch for. We’re also sharing free training materials for school bus drivers, transit drivers, and law enforcement departments, as well as resources for families about keeping youth safe from trafficking.

If your organization would like to receive free training materials and resources about how concerned adults can help protect youth, please contact our Development Director, Katie Amodei, at katie@engedirefuge.com.