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Community Corner

Second Annual Freedom Fest Spreads Awareness On Sex Slavery and Human Trafficking

The Freedom and Justice Coalition raised awareness for slavery and human trafficking with a day of music, documentaries and hope on Sept. 10 in Newtown Square.

NEWTOWN SQUARE—On Saturday, Sept. 10, on the campus of , the Freedom and Justice Coalition held their second annual Freedom Fest. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and educate the community of the increasing problem of slavery and human trafficking.

Marple Newtown Patch on the tragic and alarming number of women and young girls who fall victim to trafficking.

"The importance of this day is really to raise awareness. There are so many people who don't even know this is happening," explained event coordinator Jennifer Gizzio Peterkin.

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The afternoon festival was filled with strong messages as well as some family fun. Throughout the day there was music, games, and opportunities to learn more and get involved. Jeff Markland, Kara Fisher, Claire Dilullo-Vesper and Johnny Vesper provided live music, along with the award-winning band Costal Rise.

One of the first speakers of the day was Faith Wise, who works with The Neema Project, part of Transformed International Projects. The organization's goal is to rehabilitate, educate, and reintegrate young women who have fallen victim to human trafficking.

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Street life for many of these young women is dangerous and can easily lead to a life of disease and prostitution. The Neema Project takes these girls and young women off the streets and places them into programs to learn new skills, including starting an apprenticeship in a trade. Some of the proceeds from Freedom Fest on Saturday went towards benefiting The Neema Project.

"I feel like coming into an event like this, a lot of the topics are very heavy and its not an easy aspect of what's happening in our world, but me, my goal is to always inspire hope," shared Wise. "There are lives that are being changed and there are opportunities to be a part of this."

Wise said the best way to get her message across is to share the success stories of the young girls and women she has worked with through this program. "I mostly share their stories."

In the lobby of the event, Penny Gerrad and Melinda Snow of Mosaic Designs were selling some of the jewelry and accessories that were made by members of the program. Wise, the head of this venture, featured unique necklaces, bags, and scarves made by women and girls from the program. 

The sale of the items raised nearly $400 for the program, which is currently trying to build a school to help educate trafficking survivors.

The day also featured two documentaries by Chelo Alvarez-Stehle entitled Sold in America and Sands of Silence. Alverez-Stehele has been passionately working to expose trafficking stories for 14 years through films and journalism. She also has co-founded The Masala Project, similar to The Neema Project, also gives trafficking survivors work opportunities.

The event celebrated its second year with a larger turnout than the first time. Aside from the educational angle, Freedom Fest had plenty of fun games for children to play, prizes to win from donating, and a raffle. There was also a great snack bar with hot dogs, soft pretzels and other treats.

One of the big draws was the final act of the evening, Costal Rise. They won the 2011 award for Indie Stage at Christian music's largest festival, Creation Northeast. They have recently been heard on NPR's show Here and Now. Their sound is a mix of jazzy, upbeat rock with a twist of summer. When lead singer Brenna Carnuccio called out for the audience to get out of their seats, they listened.

As the event came to a close, coordinator Peterkin should have been relieved. The event was a success and audience members were enlightened and entertained.

But Peterkin admitted there wasn't much time to relax. She is currently working on getting the Freedom and Justice Coalition non-profit status to allow for funding to further their events and programming to build further awareness around sex slavery and human trafficking. 

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