Former sex slave turned human right activist Blessing Okoedion have been awarded the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Hero Award in the United States.
Blessing was Betrayed and tricked into prostituting on the streets of Italy, but found grace under pressure by taking the initiative to report her traffickers to the police.
After regaining her freedom; she went further to raise awareness about human trafficking in Italy
Okoedion further added that many Nigerian graduates and professionals are being trafficked to work as sex workers on the streets of Italy
As a woman who epitomizes courage, it’s not surprising that Okoedion who recently authored a book, titled “The Courage of Freedom,” was presented with the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Hero Award by the U.S Secretary of State, Michael R. Pompeo. The award is given to men and women who made lasting impact on the fight against modern slavery.
Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with the United Nations estimating that at least 40 million people are trapped in slavery worldwide. With more courageous fellows like Okoedion, rising from being victims to freedom fighters, there appears to be hope that the scourge would be eradicated in the course of time.