3strands
RED
CROSS
Global
foundation
Fighting to end human trafficking
W
e believe it is possible to end
human trafficking,” says Ashlie
Bryant. “We combat this crime
through prevention. Prevention
through education, employment, and
engagement.” Bryant is co-founder,
president and CEO of 3Strands Global
Foundation, a socially innovative non-
profit that has been serving the greater
Sacramento region for almost 10 years.
Human trafficking, a $150
billion industry, is an umbrella term
for forced labor and commercial
sexual exploitation. Traffickers use
force, fraud, and coercion to exploit
individuals’ vulnerabilities. Traffickers
use many tactics to exploit children
and adults, and understanding them
106
comstocksmag.com | March 2019
can prevent human trafficking from
occurring in the first place.
This crime doesn’t discriminate components – protocols, training,
curriculum and data. Communities
establish protocols so resources will be
on gender, race, or socio-economics,
and there are an estimated 100,000
victims of sex trafficking in the US.
“Trafficking and exploitation happen
around the world, but it surprises
our local community that it happens
right here,” says Bryant. 3Strands
has a vision of a world free from
human trafficking, and a mission to
mobilize communities to combat
human trafficking through prevention
education and reintegration programs.
PROTECT Prevention Education
is a systematic, scalable prevention
education program with four readily available to students. Teachers
are trained to identify youth who are
exploited and deliver trauma-informed
standardized curriculum directly to
students, empowering them to thrive
and pursue their dreams. Data is
tracked and measured to help provide
insight on teacher awareness and
student behavioral change.
The EMPLOY + EMPOWER program
facilitates the job needs of survivors
and connects survivors and at-risk
individuals with sustainable income.
“Survivors have told us that the most
powerful thing we can do for someone