North Miami, FL – January 30, 2020 – Mary Estimé-Irvin, the City of North Miami’s District 3 Councilwoman, addressed the growing crisis of human trafficking head-on, during an awareness rally, Wednesday, at North Miami’s Griffing Community Center.
Estimé-Irvin collaborated with Marcelle Rouchon of Word and Action, Inc., Eugenise Mompremier, an Advocate for Human Trafficking and Sexual Child Abuse, and several schools in North Miami to host the Human Trafficking Awareness Rally. They partnered to heighten awareness, while also increasing safety and active prevention among North Miami’s middle and high school students. Nearly 100 students attended the rally, which focused on understanding various forms of human trafficking, signals to identify perpetrators, how teens can protect themselves against victimization and crime reporting. Students also learned about available resources and services.
“As a mother and a public servant, I find it imperative that everyone in our community makes a conscience decision to educate our girls and boys on the tactics that can be used to lure them to modern day slavery,” said Estimé-Irvin. “Girls in their early teens are being exploited at alarming rates. Our county is among those most greatly impacted in Florida. Florida continues to rank third in the nation in the number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. As a community we must combat this crime together.”
The International Labor Organization estimates that 20.9 million trafficking victims exist worldwide. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that of the human trafficking task force cases, 83 percent of sex trafficking victims were U.S. citizens.
To learn more about the Human Trafficking Rally, please email to District 3.
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City of North Miami
North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is roughly 10 miles (16 km) north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami campus of Johnson & Wales University. North Miami is home to a diverse demographic of residents. With more than 64,000 residents, North Miami is the sixth largest city in Miami-Dade County. We are home to the Oleta River State Park; the largest urban park in the Florida State Park System and the nationally accredited Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA North Miami).
Word and Action, Inc.
Word and Action, Inc. (W&A) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to prevent and/or decrease the occurrence of child sexual abuse in our community. W&A promotes a culturally-based approach to child sexual abuse prevention and treatment. Word and Action expands its partnership and network nationally and internationally. W&A is dedicated to respecting, honoring, protecting, and healing the children and families served. The children and families that benefit from its services learn safety measures against sexual predators. Also, they learn how to cope with the trauma related to child sexual abuse.
Originally published at https://www.northmiamifl.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=39
