My Introduction to the Sex Trade
This is where it all began. 1995, Kathmandu, Nepal. I moved into a Children’s Home to volunteer for 8 months and fell madly in love with the 27 children. The plan was to adopt all of them and write a book called “27 Kids and No Stretch Marks!” Well, that didn’t quite workout but they have been a part of my life ever since then!
Over the next several years, I returned numerous times to see them. On one such trip, I learned about the reality of human trafficking. I learned that at that time, 5,000 – 12,000 young Nepali girls were being tricked, trafficked, and sold into a horrendous life of sexual slavery in the filthy, over-crowded, disease-infested, poverty-stricken brothels of India, each year!
I began to research to see if this was really happening! One day I interviewed a Nepali woman who ran a recovery home and who was one of the pioneers of this battle in Nepal. As she spoke, I could not write down one word. She broke me! She told me about village girls as young as 12, whose days consist of herding goats and cutting grass before they are tricked and transported to India with the promise of a good job. These poor innocent village girls, who have never seen a vehicle are taken into cities like Mumbai with over 22 million people speaking a language she has never heard of. Upon arrival, they are immediately tortured, starved, isolated, and raped into submission! They are then told this is their new life, their karma. If they resist the traffickers will go get their younger siblings to take her place. These CHILDREN are forced to endure up to 40 men a day!
Through my sobs, I asked this woman “What am I supposed to do with this information? I’m just a university student from Calgary!?” She put her finger in my face and I’ll never forget her words. Like a strict Nepali Mama she sternly told me “YOU DO SOMETHING!!!”
I’ve been doing something ever since.
Many years ago I lived as a house manager for a frontline recovery home.
The Frontlines
I returned to Calgary, finished my degree in International Development Studies, and started working at the Servants Anonymous Society. They offered me the position of House Mom in the frontline recovery home. I knew nothing about addictions, street life, childhood trauma, the sex trade, or working with high-risk youth! I was perfect for the job. The women loved that I was there as an equal, not trying to analyze them or tell them what to do. They loved to tease my naivete. We laughed a lot. Like the time, one of the girls, in her early 20s shocked me by pulling out her false teeth! I had no idea that drug addiction makes you lose your teeth! Another time, I had to rush a girl to the hospital in my little Honda, who was in full-blown labour! I had never been around a birth before. I had one girl in the back yelling directions to me and the one in front, screaming “baby’s coming!” I still get teased for this next part. I asked the woman in labour, if she was going to be sick to please do so out the window. No sooner had I made my request when there was a spray of bodily fluids across the dashboard! I was mortified. The girl in the back is on the floor killing herself with laughter! She has not let me live this down to this day!
During the 2 years I lived there, I had the pleasure of welcoming 43 women off the streets. Some stayed 1 night, others the full year until they graduated to the next phase. One girl who was HIV positive arrived with 2 broken arms. That’s what pimps do when they catch you trying to keep a quarter to make a phone call. Another was so scared, she slept in the closet, behind her locked bedroom door.
Regardless of how tough or terrified they were, I soon learned they all had one thing in common. All were victims of childhood sexual abuse. CSA sets the stage for a pimp to groom them and sexually exploit them. Their entire lives, they had no idea their bodies are precious and they have the right to say no. No one ever taught them that. Instead, they were taught, from a young age, that their value comes from what you allow others to do to your body.
When the Servants Anonymous Foundation was established, I began working with them. I immediately took the Founders to Nepal where we started SAF’s first international project, which is still going strong today under the name: Gentle Heart Foundation. While in Nepal I worked with national leaders to set up income-generating projects, sewing training, prevention work, border monitoring work (above photo at the truck stop and border), and a recovery home. I also started Global Wonders, a social enterprise to give the women fair trade, and ethical employment. In the beginning, we started with toques and knitwear. None of us had any idea what we were doing! We worked so hard to purchase the wool in Kathmandu, transport it to the recovery home (in the Terai, the hot part of Nepal) 7 hours away, and then bring the finished pieces back to Kathmandu to ship! It was a huge job! Plus in the beginning, we could never get the sizes right, the pieces would be too big or too small and to be honest, they were so UGLY & ITCHY! I was so happy when we transitioned into jewelry! So much easier to transport!
While working for the SA Foundation, I organized many events and fundraisers. The 55 minute power lunchtime fundraiser downtown Calgary was extremely successful and impactful. I also had the privilege of partnering with the Old Guys in Action to organize several Calgary Icebreaker Polar Dips! Although I hated dipping, I hated sexual slavery more and was happy to suffer for the cause. This event, raised significant funds over the years and was lovingly adopted by the community of Mahogany and continues to take place every February. Be sure to register or donate!
Social Enterprises & Fundraisers
Redeemed With Purpose
In 2017 I started Redeemed With Purpose. The vision was to use fashion to engage consumers to speak up against sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and the harms of porn. My goal was also to use their shopping choices to support frontline organizations. I chose to donate 100% of my profit to a new charity each year. In total my very small business sacrificially donated over $46,000.00! In 2025, I sold Redeemed With Purpose to like-minded, visionary women who will continue the vision. Thank you to everyone who support this unexpected business and a special thanks to the stores who donated shelf space to us!
My focus now is raising awareness around internet safety with a special focus on educating and empowering parents and youth to recognize and resist the many online harms targeting youth: sexual exploitation, human trafficking, porn consumption, exposure to harmful content, phone addiction, sleep deprivation, video game addiction, etc. etc.
