A brand new non-profit organization in the Twin Cities, The Enitan (pronounced as any-ton) Story is set to host a human trafficking awareness event to give the community tips on how to identify victims of human trafficking. A press release issued by the organization recently stated that the event will hold on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Brookdale library located at 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway in Brooklyn Center.
According to the Communications Director of the organization, Rita Apaloo, “the mission of The Enitan Story is to advocate for victims and empower survivors of human trafficking.” She added that the launch event will include an introduction of the organization, educational materials on human trafficking include a short video on identifying victims, refreshments, giveaways from local businesses and remarks from the Founder and Executive Director, Bukola Oriola.
Meanwhile, Oriola stated that the mail goal of The Enitan Story is to help bridge the gap a survivor may experience to get to the next level. Furthermore, she said, the name Enitan means someone with a story or history. The Enitan Story came from Bukola Oriola’s story as a victim and survivor of human trafficking. Every victim of human trafficking has a story. The goal of The Enitan Story is to change each story from tragic to success by providing them with services and referring them to resources available for help. She noted that the characteristics of Enitan as a person are strength, compassion, leadership, love, generosity, responsibility, humility, charismatic, visionary, socially conscious, idealistic, and creative. “Therefore, we hope to use these qualities to change the lives of victims and survivors for the better,” she said.
Oriola knows firsthand the experiences of victims and the needs of survivors, which she talks about in her book Imprisoned: The Travails of a Human Trafficked Victim, published in 2009. She is the producer the Imprisoned Show, a television show dedicated to educating the public about human trafficking. Oriola is a 2009 MN Women’s Press Change Maker Award Winner.
The Enitan Story is a partner of the Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking campaign, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative to increase the identification of trafficking victims in the United States and to help those victims receive the benefits and services they need to restore their lives.
A critical component of the Rescue & Restore campaign is the creation of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center,1.888.3737.888, which is operated by a nongovernmental organization and connects victims of trafficking to organizations such as The Enitan Story, who can help victims in their local area.
For more information about the launch event, The Enitan Story or general questions email info@enitan.org or call 763-516-4359.