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49: Taking Back Her Life From Human Trafficking with Keeya Vawar (Part 2)
182 Plays2 years ago
In Episode 48, Laura Fleetwood sat down with Keeya Vawar to discuss how Keeya was exploited for years at the hands of many traffickers. In Part 2 of the conversation, Keeya talked about her redemption story and how God continues to play the biggest role in her life.
She is a survivor expert, student of life, a wife and mother, and missionary. A powerful voice of hope in a growing ecosystem of despair, her motivation and passion for youth and women of all ages is inextricably linked to her own story of hardship and survival against insurmountable odds.
As an author, speaker, and advocate, she connects viscerally with audiences, and is known for her uncanny ability to help others make real emotional connections with otherwise obscure realities. Her current work is centered on advocacy in collaboration with organizations that rescue women and children from the sex trafficking industry.
Black Girls are disproportionately ‘at risk’ of being trafficked in the United States and their stories often go untold for reasons far more complicated than mere reporting, or statistical oversight. Keeya was lured with the opportunity to escape the abusive and tumultuous home life and faced with the prospect of meeting some of the biggest and most influential names in the music industry. She was exploited for years at the hands of many traffickers. With her book, One Thousand Elsewhere: A True Survivor Story, she broke her silence and gives the reader a seat to the table of her story. One Thousand Elsewhere: A True Survivor Story is available today in the Kindle, Paperback, and Hard Copy formats on Amazon.
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is recognized each year on January 11th. Two sources you can check out are Blue Campaign and The U.S. Department of State.
Instagram: @keeyasays
Twitter: @keeyasays
Linkedin: Keeya Vawar
Normal Goes A Long Way Website: https://www.normalgoesalongway.com/
Normal Goes A Long Way Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalgoesalongway/
Normal Goes A Long Way Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Normal-Goes-A-Long-Way-110089491250735
Normal Goes A Long Way is brought to you by Messiah St. Charles: https://messiahstcharles.org/
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Transcript
Jill Devine's Journey to Podcasting
00:00:00
Speaker
The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members-only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
00:00:24
Speaker
Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The Normal Goes Along Way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation. Hi there and welcome to Normal Goes Along Way. I'm
Unpacking Human Trafficking Myths
00:00:45
Speaker
your host Jill Devine and it's time for part two of the conversation between Laura and Keith.
00:00:52
Speaker
When I think in general of human trafficking, I think of like somebody who is being held against their will, but more and more we're learning that is not the case. Like in your circumstance, you were free to come and go, but you didn't feel like you had the resources to exit the situation. So just because someone looks like they're having a good time and having fun,
00:01:21
Speaker
in this environment does not mean that it's not abuse. Because if they're underage, it is abuse. Right. Exactly. In the state of Texas, you have to be 18 to be considered a non-minor. And so if you are under the age of 18, you are not able to consent to sex, first of all.
00:01:49
Speaker
you're under the age of consent. And so it is automatically illegal, right? And so my story and my situation is one way that this happens, but you do not have to be without money and resources and means in order to be mentally trapped into this lifestyle, right? And so we have to look at the process. We have to look at the means and we have to look at the end.
00:02:17
Speaker
This is the goal
Grooming and Manipulation Tactics
00:02:18
Speaker
and the game of the trafficker. So first of all, in the process of recruiting, they're going to groom you in some way. There's going to be something that they do, some need that they provide. They're looking for low-hanging fruits. They're looking for vulnerabilities. And vulnerabilities do not have a socioeconomic status attached to them. So they're going to recruit or harbor or move or obtain
00:02:45
Speaker
Your person, your image, okay, so this was in 1997 with me. Now, one of the ways and means of trafficking is through images, all right, pornographic images that are uploaded to the dark web, et cetera. But, so you're going to look at the recruiting process. You're going to look at, they're looking for and searching for vulnerabilities, okay.
00:03:09
Speaker
they're going to become everything that you need. You have a bad relationship, they're gonna be good for you. No one listens to you, they're going to listen, right? Then the means, force, fraud, or coercion. Okay, so it's very possible that you get caught up into sex trafficking by force, okay? That's like you would see in the movie Taken. They knock you out, they drug you, they drag you, you're gone, you're missing, okay?
00:03:35
Speaker
But that's not always the case. There are many parties that you might attend from someone who is setting up and looking for someone who would be the next victim, because this is a multi-billion dollar industry. Let's not forget that. And so I think of college campuses. I think of high school parties where they're drugging individuals and performing acts, videotaping it, uploading it. That's also sex trafficking.
00:04:03
Speaker
Okay? Or they're using text messages where the so-called boyfriend or girlfriend is requesting images, right? And then, you know, they use those images also as a way of revenge to say, hey, if you don't do these other things, I'm going to send this to your parents or to your, this person or that person, or I'm going to spread this all over the web or whatever the case may be. And so I can go into so many different nuances of how this
00:04:30
Speaker
works, but they're going to either force you somehow, they're going to be fraudulent in their luring of you, or they're going to find a way to coerce you into doing these things.
00:04:43
Speaker
But it just depends on the situation and the environment. And their end goal is basically either involuntary servitude, okay? There's debt bondage, because let's understand that this happens not just in the US, but it happens globally. Or flat out slavery, right? I would say that I was in the category of slavery. That was sex slavery.
Surviving and Escaping Trafficking
00:05:07
Speaker
You know, I was living in this particular place, even though
00:05:12
Speaker
I could, quote unquote, come and go as I please because of all the psychological and physical abuse and threats of death. It was slavery, right? And so they're going to force you into some form of commercial sex act. OK, that's another that's another way. So there's all these different ways that this happens. My story, you know, I was vulnerable as being a teenage runaway, but this is not the only way that it happened.
00:05:41
Speaker
So you've seen some of in the news, you've seen the Epstein case. Okay, this is not a situation where you're dealing with people who are uneducated and they are at the bottom of the rung of society as far as socioeconomics. You're actually looking at people who need a better quality product. And so they're going after the college students and they're going after the women and men
00:06:09
Speaker
Because this is not just an issue with women and girls this is also an issue with boys and men But they're going after you know quote-unquote prime stop, so it's very It's a very difficult complex situation, but the end goal is money and With humans you know with drugs once you use the drugs. They're gone
00:06:31
Speaker
All right, so they're always looking to find more drugs or create more drugs to sell, right? But when you talk about a human, you're talking about an individual who, you know, in some cases you think about, you know, some of the sex slavery in Southeast Asia, where these women are literally in cages and hundreds of times a day until they die, their life expectancy, when they enter is about eight years, and then they die. And they start off sometimes even
00:06:59
Speaker
as little kids where this is happening and it's not uncommon to find them on the side of the road discarded after their bodies gave out because they could no longer be used again. So this is a very complex issue and that a lot of research has been put into, but there's a lot more that needs to be done. You know, I could give you statistics, but you can research the statistics. I'm just one of them, right? I'm one of those who has had this experience
00:07:29
Speaker
But by the grace of God, I'm a survivor of it. This all happened to me in 1997 is when I made my escape. Tell us about that. Tell us about how you finally got out of it and what role God played in that and how he has worked in your life since then.
00:07:54
Speaker
Right, right, so I actually got out because I had a nervous breakdown. Okay, that was a lot to go through in a short period of time from 1992 to 1997. Excuse me, 1991 to 1997. That was a lot to go through in a short period of time. And there's only so much that the mind and body can take before it shuts down. So I did have a nervous breakdown.
00:08:23
Speaker
And in that nervous breakdown, I was able to get help and that's where the pause in my life happened. And I really do believe that I experienced all those horrible things. I don't know why I experienced it. I just know that I did experience it.
00:08:43
Speaker
And what that did with my faith is when I moved back to Dallas, Texas, it was my brother and his wife at the time that actually moved or excuse me, went to New Jersey where I was living and signed me out of the psych hospital and brought me back. Right. And my brother, one of the first conversations that he had, he said,
00:09:04
Speaker
You know, I know you've been through a lot. Here's the other thing. I lied to my mother and my brother about the lifestyle I was actually leading in because I was not living in the same state with them most of the time. And even when I was with my mom, I just, I told a lot of lies because there was a lot of shame involved. But once I was in that hospital, I fully disclosed everything that I had been through. And so my brother allowed me to just kind of, he kind of nursed me back to health, basically.
00:09:30
Speaker
And he said, you know, I know you've been through a lot of things, but one thing we're going to do is like we did when we were little, we're going to continue to go to church. And I agreed because I was just in a mess and church has always been a place of comfort for me. Right. And it's in that setting that I was able to rededicate my life to Christ. I understand that's not necessarily a theme that, uh, uh,
00:10:00
Speaker
When you talk about rededicating your life in the Lutheran setting, my husband and I are in the Lutheran church. That's maybe not quite how they would put it. But I spent more of my life charismatic. And so I would say once I rededicated my life to God and I just listened to the love that was poured out to me in that setting and responded to that, I was able to pivot. And I really feel like God was instrumental in helping to bring the healing process
00:10:30
Speaker
into my life and I found that through my faith in Christ. And I remember in the book, there was a particular moment you wrote about when you were at your brother's and you were having like, I don't know if it was a hallucination or something that somebody was coming after you in the dark. And I remember that you said you just started crying out
00:10:59
Speaker
to Jesus. Talk a little bit about that moment. Absolutely. And so I'll have to backtrack just a little bit. I was in a relationship with a man much older than me. He was about 41 years of age when I was 22. And he was a sugar daddy type, if you will, right? He was also a warlock. And so this is the spiritual side. The other spiritual side to this was in following him, I basically dibbled and dabbled in the occult.
00:11:28
Speaker
And when I broke away, had the nervous breakdown and went back home, I felt as though in addition to the mental illness I had been labeled with, that there was a very spiritual aspect to those experiences, right? I believe totally and wholeheartedly that my experience was the devil's plan for my life and what he wanted to see.
00:11:54
Speaker
to still kill and destroy from my life. And so in that moment in my brother's living room, I remember having just a lot of problems trying to sleep, right? And I would be tormented in dreams, et cetera. Some of that was the medication. I feel like some of that was also spiritual.
Faith and Healing After Trafficking
00:12:12
Speaker
And I had a moment where it was like I heard the voice of his dog in the back room.
00:12:21
Speaker
OK, not the voice, but the sound of his dog panting in the back room. And he had a beautiful chow. And I was thinking, why is he up and stringing around? And why could I hear him so loud, first of all? And then I just realized I heard that voice or that sound amplify. And it sounded as if it was coming down the hallway. And I was immediately stricken with this sheer fear, wondering, OK, this is not normal. This doesn't make any sense. And again, it was an amplified sound.
00:12:50
Speaker
And so I just have an interaction that I felt was highly spiritual. And I believe that it was a hallucination per se. I didn't see anything, but I just felt a very demonic presence in the room. And I remember at that moment being so terrified and crying out to God. And this is not just being in the church setting, but in that moment, it was about me and Jesus. And I'm like, right, you're really real. Then I need you to show up right now because I don't know what's going to happen. I'm terrified. I don't know what to do.
00:13:19
Speaker
I had words similar to that. And I just remember literally feeling, and I used to hear the old people say, Oh God, I'll bless you. Feel them from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. You know, cause I grew up very charismatic environments. And so I literally felt a warm sensation from the crown of my head, literally go all the way down my body to my feet. And I felt the peace of God. And I knew it was the presence of God.
00:13:48
Speaker
And I actually drifted off into a very deep sleep. When I woke up the next morning, it was as if I was healed. It was as if it was so surreal that the birds were chirping extra sweet. The sun was beaming extra beautiful. And it was truly the beginning process of my healing journey. And so I began from that point, just serving the Lord wholeheartedly. I felt if I could serve the enemy wholeheartedly and if
00:14:18
Speaker
I've been through all of these things that made me feel hopeless. Now that I have hope, I'm going to serve wholeheartedly. And that's exactly what I've spent the rest of my life doing. There's such hope in that. And I hope that everyone listening knows that that same grace and healing power that you experienced is available to them. And that in our darkest moments, you know, crying out to Jesus is
00:14:49
Speaker
sometimes the only thing and also the best thing that we can do. And I'm so glad that you've been able to feel his mercy and his grace and his healing in your life. What happened next? Because that's kind of where you ended the book. And I was like, but wait a minute, I know that like,
00:15:11
Speaker
You know, you're my age, so like 20 years has passed since then. What have you been up to in your life and what is your calling right now?
00:15:23
Speaker
Absolutely. And I will quickly touch on this, because that sounds like a beautiful fairy tale almost, that there was the fact that she lived happily ever after. But that is not entirely true. Right, right. It's never that simple. It's never that simple. I have to say, and I have to mention the importance of mental health care,
00:15:47
Speaker
I have to let you know that I first rejected it for many, many years. I felt like the church was enough. Doing good works was enough. Getting involved in the church, that was enough. And it took me literally about 15 years of living that way before I bottomed out and realized that's not enough.
00:16:08
Speaker
that I do need, God plus a therapist. And I need a therapist just like, you know, you take your car in for checkups at certain times and you get your oil changes. I need a therapist on speed dial to be a part of my life for the rest of my life. And so the journey has taken even a more in depth level of healing has taken place, but in between that, right? So I guess it was 2000,
00:16:37
Speaker
Yes, in 2000, the church that I was attending, which was a mega church in the Dallas, Texas area, I remember just giving myself wholeheartedly to, I wanted to be a part of missions and I got involved in an internship program called the master's commission and I dedicated two years of my life into learning
00:17:04
Speaker
um, about Christian service, um, being an intern in this church, this 21st century, you know, um, upwardly mobile, um, church that was making impact, um, in the local area and around the world. And I was able to travel and, um, you know, around due conferences and pretty much intern from A to Z and the different, um, businesses that this pastor had. And so, um, that's where I met my husband. And so that was, um, in 2000.
00:17:34
Speaker
Um, 2001, by the time I met him and, um, you know, we quickly, we shared a lot of the same, um, interest and we quickly, um, I guess fell in love and, um, then we got married and he was an associate pastor at this church. And
Life After Trafficking: Advocacy and Mission
00:17:53
Speaker
so it was a very odd couple, you know, uh, I felt, but you know, it's, it's what happened in my life. And so that was part of my redemption. We went on to have.
00:18:04
Speaker
three beautiful children. I have Christian, who is my 16-year-old. Agine, who is my 19-year-old. John, who we call JJ, he's the third, who is my 20-year-old. Agine and JJ are in college. Christian's in his 11th grade year. And we have been considered more recently local missionaries in the Lutheran Church, Missouri Senate. But throughout that entire process, when we got married in 2002,
00:18:34
Speaker
And we've been married for 20 years as of April, April the 21st. We've been in ministry, you know, more youth ministry than anything. And more recently, we...
00:18:49
Speaker
actually have been in ministry with a mission that is called Mosaic Mission Network and we resource, through the Lutheran Church, we resource Liberian pastors by helping them to obtain grants to go to seminary and to come up under
00:19:09
Speaker
the denomination of the Lutheran Church and to serve that particular community. So my husband is from Liberia, West Africa, and that's how that ends up. So that's what we do ministerially as far as advocacy goes. I actually, of course, use my voice to advocate for those who are trapped
00:19:31
Speaker
in human trafficking and sex trafficking by the use of my story. I also do workshops, facilitate workshops for other anti human trafficking organizations and pretty much anyone who will hire me to
00:19:46
Speaker
come in front of their people to express to them the importance of educating themselves on this issue, right? And so I also currently work at a safe house in the North Texas area. So I work directly with the population of women who are coming out of sex trafficking and domestic violence situations.
00:20:09
Speaker
and restarting their lives and gaining the necessary life skills. That's Bochi's place. And so I'm very grateful to have the opportunity now to make impact. And I'm really new on that journey of advocacy, right? And the more that you learn, the more that you realize that there's a need. So I'm just dedicated for the rest of my life, I believe. I feel that this is a calling to bring awareness and make impact in this space.
00:20:38
Speaker
You know, I can't do it all. I just do my part, right? I do my part by sharing and educating. Well, and thank you for doing that because it's it's hard to share your story. All of us have stories and all of us have darkness that we've walked through. And it's tempting to keep the darkness hidden. But God, when we bring it to the light and use it for his glory,
00:21:07
Speaker
It's amazing what he can do with our stories. So I so appreciate your honesty and your vulnerability and especially what you just said about the importance of mental health. I also went through a nervous breakdown and understand the journey of finally getting to the place where you realize you can't get through it on your own and that I think
00:21:35
Speaker
My therapists have been angels sent from heaven. I think everybody should have a therapist, everybody. We all have things that we need to heal from. And so thank you for sharing that it hasn't always been easy, but you are walking hand in hand with Jesus and that makes all the difference. I think to close, I'd like to ask you, what would you say to the church?
00:22:05
Speaker
And by the
Mobilizing the Church Against Trafficking
00:22:06
Speaker
church, I mean the whole body of Christ, all of those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, when it comes to this issue of human trafficking, sex trafficking, what should Christians know and do so that we can put this evil to rest?
00:22:32
Speaker
Absolutely. That's a great question, Laura. I would say, number one, I believe that it is our responsibility. I believe it's all of our callings to be the hands and feet of Christ to the broken and downtrodden. All right. And so I believe that we have a responsibility to make ourselves
00:22:58
Speaker
once we are made aware of the situation, to look for solutions. Solutions might look like going into Google. This is a really easy step. Go into Google and put human trafficking statistics in my area. Put your zip code in there.
00:23:14
Speaker
Okay. And find out, make yourself knowledgeable about the issue. If that seems too overwhelming, then go into Google and type anti-human trafficking organizations and then put your zip code in there and get connected. Find out how you can donate your time, your talent,
00:23:36
Speaker
your treasure to this work. Some people, this will really resonate with you and you'll feel like, oh my gosh, this is horrible. No one should suffer from such a heinous crime. That right there is God calling you to action.
00:23:52
Speaker
That is God saying, this matters to you because it matters to me. Do something about it. And so find an organization that's already doing the work. You can go in, you can read and learn so much. It's so overwhelming. There's so much information, but many of these organizations have materials that they can give you that are free and downloadable. They have classes and lunch and learns.
00:24:18
Speaker
They are willing to come out to your organization or to your church and do trainings, right? So that you can know the ways that you can get involved. You know, many local law enforcement have task force, okay? And so you can find out what's happening in your state, right? And you can find out what the laws are in your state, okay?
00:24:39
Speaker
When it comes down to, you know, how does this, how can the church have influence here? Well, there's a political influence. Who are we electing into office that are passing particular bills that are affecting this demographic of people? So there's multiple ways that you can get involved. I would say definitely do that.
00:25:01
Speaker
I am one individual. I'm not an organization as of yet. I'm an individual who speaks on this issue. You can invite individuals like myself to come and speak to your group and to give more information and get a game plan going. I do consulting in churches and get a game plan going on how we can start a ministry that would reach this demographic. And so the issue is broad, but we're capable. We're able.
00:25:25
Speaker
Yes, and I think it starts with exactly what you said. It starts with awareness and it starts with a recognition that it is going to take every one of us standing up for love and freedom and respect of every individual to make a dent in what has become an enormous hidden problem in this world, in our country, in our state,
00:25:55
Speaker
And it's up to us to bring it to the light and to not pretend that it's not happening. So thank you again for those instructive words. I would challenge everyone listening to do exactly what Kia said. Type in human trafficking, sex trafficking, and your zip code and see what kind of organizations pop up as far as advocacy and help.
00:26:21
Speaker
Um, and also be aware of what those statistics look like near you. I'd also encourage each of you to buy Kia's book. It is called 1000 elsewhere, a true survivor story. And I know it's available on Amazon. That's where I got it. I read the Kindle version. Um, is that where you recommend people purchase it or do you have another place that's better?
00:26:43
Speaker
They can purchase it either on Amazon or they can purchase through my website. And if they'd like a signed copy, just email me info at K-E-E-Y-A, V as in Victor, A-W-A-R dot com. And put your request in there and I'll send you out a signed copy. Amazing. Yes. Please visit Kia's website for more details. We will link it in the show notes.
00:27:10
Speaker
And Kia, I think that I'm going to be inviting you to come speak. I have two teenage daughters and I would love to allow them to hear directly from you about some of those warning signs to be aware of as they go off to college and as they go through high school. I think the more we can educate our youth as well, the better off that will be.
00:27:35
Speaker
Thanks
Taking Personal Responsibility
00:27:36
Speaker
again for joining us here at Normal Goes a Long Way. We wish you all the best on your ministry and with your family. And we're just thanking Jesus that he stepped into your life and that you have come to him and walked with him for these past years. And he's doing incredible things through you.
00:27:57
Speaker
Thank you so much for having me. It's been such an honor. And I'm just excited about what you all are doing as well. And I'm so glad to be a part of it. After hearing this conversation between Laura and Kia, it has made me realize that there are so many things out there that I don't know anything about. And it's my responsibility to educate myself. And there are so many organizations that I don't even know exist.
00:28:27
Speaker
I encourage you to do the same thing that I'm going to do and learn more about human trafficking. And with January being Human Trafficking Awareness Month, let's do what we can to help fight this. Let's support those that Kia mentioned in the episode with Laura. Let's just do better.
Connect with Jill Devine
00:28:50
Speaker
You can follow along on our social media accounts at normal goes a long way on Facebook and Instagram and also at normal goes a long way.com. Thank you so much for taking a listen and doing what you can to help others. Have a great day.