Name: Mabel
Social Justice Group: Human Trafficking
Date of Fieldwork: January 10, 2018
Name of Organization: LifeWay Network
Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Lima James, Education and Development manager
Type of Fieldwork: Interview
What I did:
We visited the LifeWay Network office in Queens, which turned out to be in an old convent. We had a short interview with Lima James, the Education and Development manager, and she told us what LifeWay does. They offer legal and passport services for foreign women, and they have 4 safe homes for survivors of labor or sex trafficking, each with 3 sisters (nuns) living in them to supervise. The first house has 2 beds always open, and is the emergency house. The second has 5 beds. The third has 7 beds, and so does the fourth, although the fourth is mostly for women with small children. Then we went on a tour of the office and met with the following people: Sister Melissa (the development manager, who lives in one of the safe homes and works part-time), Courtney (the human resources manager), Jeanie (the main accountant and technology person), and Sister Joan (the founder). They told us who they were and their jobs, and we told them about the Social Justice project. Jeanie even gave us a sneak peek at the new website she is designing for LifeWay Network. It’s definitely better than the one they have up right now.
What I learned:
I learned how trafficking situations usually start. If you’re out looking lost or vulnerable, a trafficker might approach you like “hi, you look cold, would you like a cup of coffee?” Then later, when you clearly have nowhere to go, they would be like “oh, do you need a place to stay?” That’s how foreign women usually get draw into situations. It’s way better than freezing on the streets or hoping a nearby hotel has a cheap room free, the trafficker always seems nice at first.
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
I learned that it is a lot more real than it seems at first. I learn that every time we go on a fieldwork, but I need reminders. I learned that it’s not easy, but it’s always worth the trouble. Making a difference, even a small one, is always going to be worth it.
