Human trafficking awareness and Education program April 6 & 7

3 mins read

FARMINGTON – Human trafficking is a growing industry in Maine communities. Human trafficking is the trade in human beings for the purpose of sexual slavery and other forced labor exploitation. It occurs within nearly every country and trans-nationally.

Lillian Lake, community visionary, and Nicole Coffey Kellett, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Maine Farmington, have partnered with RSU9, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (SAPARS), Safe Voices as well as the International & Global Studies Program and Campus Violence Prevention Coalition at the University of Maine at Farmington with a mission of raising community awareness of human trafficking and what can be done to stop this crime against humanity.  



Maine youths are primary targets of this growing industry. There will be an event on April 6 and 7 at Mt. Blue High School and the University of Maine Farmington. At each event, we will hear from Tricia Grant, who was trafficked from a community in Maine. She will discuss her experiences as a trafficked person, how she escaped her dire circumstances, and her continued healing process followed by a question and answer session.

In addition, there will be a screening of the film Stand With Me, the story of one young girl’s dream to end global slavery. The film explores forced labor around the world and efforts to address it, including Fair Trade practices. The film is appropriate for adults and children as young as nine years old. Representatives from SAPARS and Safe Voices will be available both evenings for support and further information.


First Event: Screening of film “Stand With Me,” story of a young girl’s dream to end global slavery and speaker: Tricia Grant on Maine Sex Trafficking Survivor Follow-up Q & A at the University of Maine at Farmington’s The Landing in the student center from 6:30-8:30pm on Wednesday, April 6. Light refreshments will be provided.

Second Event: Screening of film “Stand With Me,” story of a young girl’s dream to end global slavery and speaker: Tricia Grant on Maine Sex Trafficking Survivor Follow-up Q & A at the Mt. Blue High School Campus in The Forum
 on Thursday, April 7, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mt. Blue High School Culinary Arts will be providing light refreshments.

For further information contact event organizers Lake at lillian@lillianlake.com and Kellett at nicole.kellett@maine.edu.

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