P.E.O. Sister hood helped me attend college and they are helping me raise funds for my documentary. They are a group of extraordinary women and I had the privilege of speaking at one of their dinners. Below is what I said...
"I remember when I first started taking speech communication classes years ago and we had to talk for 5 whole minutes. I thought, how in the world am I going to talk for 5 minutes, that’s just way too long. The last presentation I gave lasted about 30 minutes and could I have gone longer. When asked to talk at this event, I was told I had 5mins. I thought to myself, only 5 minutes? How could I possibly say everything I need to say in 5 minutes? I’ll do my best to keep it under 5 minutes.
I just graduated George Fox University with a B.A. in Cinema & Media Communications. That’s a fancy way of saying, I make films. This would not have been possible if it wasn’t for all of you amazing women and your commitment to helping women succeed.
I received the Oregon Scholarship, without which I would not have been able to afford to attend George Fox. My time at George Fox University was priceless.
I learned more about who I am, what I am passionate about, and what truly matters in life. I realized my passion for victims of sex trafficking and how I can use my gift of filmmaking to really make a difference.
Sex trafficking is a form of modern day slavery where men, women, and children are forced or tricked into a place where their bodies may be sold and used as sex objects over and over again.
800,000 people are trafficked, bought and sold, across international borders each year. 50% of these victims are children, and 4 out of 5 are female. Cambodia is one of the top destinations for sex tourism & trafficking.
I traveled to Cambodia last August and worked with survivors of sex trafficking. I taught them a film class and we made a video together. I couldn’t have imagined how much of an impact it would have, not only on my life, but the girls’ lives as well.
There counselor, who doubled as my translator, said that the girls revealed more about their lives in our short time together, then they had in numerous counseling sessions. That was amazing to realize I played such a big part in helping the girls communicate what had been done to them. It was a life changing experience to hear their stories and be a part of their healing.
Human trafficking is a worldwide epidemic. It is not a tragedy that occurs only in places like Thailand, India, or Cambodia, but it also happens in Australia, Europe and even in the United States. This atrocity is happening all over the world, and most people are completely unaware of it.
This last year I have been working on my feature length documentary on the sex trade in Cambodia and the U.S., and I will continue to raise funds for the next year and a half before we begin filming in Cambodia. This has been a grueling task, but I know it will also be tremendously rewarding. Every time I get overwhelmed with all the work I just picture those girls’ faces and I remember why I am doing this. I have no choice, I have to make this film. Not just for those girls I met in Cambodia, but for all the girls and boys that are enslaved in the world. I refuse to sit back and do nothing, when I have the power to change lives.
I have been working on building my own film company, Unsilenced Pictures, with the goal of transforming lives with the truth. I want to make films that uncover atrocities and motivate people to action. I want to leave this life knowing I made a positive difference…and you all have contributed to that. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my dreams; and therefore, others’ dreams a reality. Thanks you."
Posts
