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w w w .in si d eH A LT O N .c o m O A K V IL LE B E A V E R F ri d ay , A u g u st 5 , 2 01 1 4 d h h fA vocacy is t e rig t it Im still quite speechless and completely overwhelmed, more by everyones love and sup- port that Ive received. I have received text mes- sages, Facebook messages, emails from literally people across the country and the U.S. who are saying You do deserve this, Invidiata said. She said she never did any of her work looking for recognition, but she was honoured to get the nomination. Individuals wishing to support Invidiata can vote on the www.chatelaine.com/womenofthe- year website for her under the Hot 20 Under 30 link. Invidiata founded Free-Them back in January of 2010. The organization does a lot of advocacy around the topics of human trafficking and sup- ports individuals who fight against it also. Though the organization was founded just last year, Invidiatas work began in 2003 when she began university in Waikiki, Hawaii where she studied marketing. Prior to then Invidiata has done other, similar work, such as building and working in orphanages in Venezuela and India. When she left for Hawaii her humanitarian work turned to a fight against the sex trade. I remember telling my parents and my friends at my going away party that I knew I was moving to Hawaii for a greater purpose in life and that my school visa was going to allow me to do it. At the time she didnt know what that greater purpose was going to be. Within six months of moving there she began her activist work. Her dormitory was located on a street known to the locals as Candy Lane, where prostitution is prevalent. Coming home from night classes or going out at night, I would be going by these women and girls 14, 15-years-old that at the time I looked at as hookers, as prostitutes. As a woman walking by, you cant help but have some level of judgment. She said she had a choice of rejecting her neighbours or embracing them. I had a burden on my heart, she said. Not to say what they were doing was right or wrong was irrelevant, but it was more about providing a place of understanding and being an available option that if these girls wanted out to help facilitate that. She began reaching out to the girls, first by buying them coffees at the local Starbucks where they frequented at night. Not all the girls were happy someone was purchasing their coffees for them, but slowly she began gaining the trust of some of the girls. She learned things about the girls and began communicating with them. I started to just know their stories, Invidiata said. I started to learn they thought they were signing up for something that was different, they wished they could leave, but they cant. I started learning about the children theyve had, the forced abortions that their pimps had made them have so they wouldnt be off the streets. I started to learn where they got their nails done and their hair done and some of the girl stuff. She added she also learned that the word prostitute is not the proper word to describe the sex trade. What I started to learn we use that word incorrectly and its misrepresented. The more cor- rect term to be used is prostituted. The majority of those girls I was meeting with were not there by choice, but they were forced in some way or they were deceived or they were coerced or they were under some type of duress, threat, fear, that was keeping them there. Invidiata said the world has 27 million people in slavery, and the sex-trade is a $32 billion per year industry. Fast forward to today, Invidiata is continuing that same work right here in Canada and in Oakville with Free-Them through advocacy, fund- raising and getting others involved, such as other groups, churches and businesses. We have something for everybody, she said of the organization that has 13 committee mem- bers and more than 30 volunteers. Among some of the work, Free-Them helped raise awareness of MP Joy Smiths bill to pass law that gives a minimum of a five-year prison sen- tence to those caught trafficking minors. Free-Them, at least in southern Ontario, helped to raise a lot awareness around that, get a lot of petitions signed, writing to MPs, MPPs, the prime minister, Invidiata said. Shae and Free-Them worked with politicians, held press conferences, appeared at places such as Fashion Alternative Week to raise awareness, hosted a Freedom Walk in Toronto, do speaking engagements and helped students do similar work. There are high schools that have Free Them captains who are championing the same message Invidiata is spreading to people. A member of Free-Thems committee, Randy Phipps, said Invidiata is deserving of the award. Shae has committed the last eight years of her life to fighting a very important, but often overlooked cause...sex trafficking, he wrote in an email. Her tireless efforts, passion and dedication to the cause has inspired many to join the fight to abolish the modern day slave trade. Though the award nomination is for Invidiata, she thanks her friends and family for their contri- butions and support, because without them, this could not have happened. Behind every great recognition or every achievement is an amazing group of people, she said. I dont receive this nomination solely on my own behalf. For more information, visit www.freethem.ca. Continued from page 1 Shae Invidiata KENNEDY FORD OAKVILLES ORIGINAL DEALER QEW @ DORVAL 280 SOUTH SERVICE RD. QEW D O R V AA L D O R V A L A LOAKVILLE 905.845.1646 www.kennedyford.ca WYECROFT PREVIOUS DAILY RENTAL 15 9 AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE! 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