Victims Voices: Janet

Janet received assistance through the NGO 'Hotline for Migrant Workers' in Israel

Janet, age 26, was born in Sudan and raised in Niger. Her father died when she was 12, and her mother couldn't afford to pay for her education, so she stopped going to school. When Janet was 22, her mother died and her relatives forced her out of her home.

A friend introduced her to a man who promised to help her. Believing she had no other choice, Janet went with him to Chad. There, she was handed over to another man, who raped her. Then some other men smuggled her into Egypt and brought her to Sinai. With no family to pay a ransom for her release, Janet was held captive and raped repeatedly.

Eventually Janet escaped and made her way to Israel. With help from the Hotline for Migrant Workers, she was recognized as a trafficking victim. For a long time she was unable to talk about her experience, and she still fears for her life if she returns to Niger: "I have no one to protect me if I go back." Today Janet is a caregiver for elderly Israelis - work that she loves. the support she receives from the Hotline's lawyer gives her hope: "Each time I call her, I can breathe again." Now that Janet is recognized as a victim, she hopes that she will be able to stay in Israel.

The Hotline for Migrant Workers helps survivors of human trafficking in Israel gain legal recognition as victims and obtain the support services to which they are entitled. It also helps them secure work visas and residency permits so that they may remain in Israel should they desire.

Donate to the Victims Trust Fund today and directly help people like Janet. Visit www.unodc.org/humantraffickingfund to find out how.