Lee alumna raises awareness and funds for survivors of human trafficking
Photo by Multimedia Reporter Annie Youther
Lee University nursing alumna Kelsey Yoder is raising $25,000 for Remember Nhu and recently established the Freedom Gallery to increase awareness for child trafficking. The Freedom Gallery is a collaboration between artists aiming to provide information and raise awareness through various art forms.
“The Freedom Gallery is to raise awareness of the realities of human trafficking, empower survivors, present hope and raise funds to prevent child sex trafficking in Thailand,” said Yoder. “There are kids out there at risk for being trafficked, there are kids being trafficked, and we have to do something about it. I hope that people come and learn something, and that they walk away with hope.”
Remember Nhu is an international nonprofit committed to ending child sex trafficking through prevention. Yoder visited Remember Nhu in Cambodia where she became aware of the prevalent trafficking in the region. Her visit to Cambodia fueled her desire to help create awareness in her own community.
Yoder hopes individuals who attended the Freedom Gallery will gain perspective on the issue and “understand the tragedy that it is.”
“They can see that there is something that we can do about it and we can make a difference in the fight against human trafficking, even if it is just showing up to a gallery and learning more about it,” said Yoder. “To show people that it’s local and global.”
Yoder drafted outlines for issues the artists could potentially base their pieces on, providing direction and space for creative liberty. Information on the reality of sex trafficking will accompany each art piece. The Freedom Gallery will display approximately 35 art pieces and feature 17 artists. Yoder assembled a small team of Lee alumni from Cleveland and Chattanooga, as well as from her home state of Indiana, and plans to host the Freedom Gallery in both regions.
Many contributing artists are from the Lee community. Avery Engels, senior art education major, is creating two interactive pieces for the gallery. The interactive pieces incorporate ways to involve and educate the viewers through a hands-on art form. Engels says viewers will be encouraged to write on her presented pieces, challenging them to have conversations about the victims and their experiences in human trafficking.
“I hope that they learn something and feel that they are able to talk to people about it,” said Engels.“...to feel open to share their stories and to be changed in that way.”
Engels said she has gained perspective through creating the interactive art pieces.
“I think just making a point, and the idea behind it, is really what we are trying to get at,” said Engels. “It’s not about making the perfect piece, but it is just about being able to talk to other people through it.”
Lee alumna Marianna Harper will present two digital illustrations in the Freedom Gallery. One piece is based on “The Starfish Story” and the other on Psalms 139:13-14.
“My intention with this piece is to inspire a perspective that views people as intentionally made with beauty, intricacy and value,” Harper said. Harper became interested in educating herself on human trafficking only after accepting the invitation to participate in the Freedom Gallery.
“I was a little ignorant to the damage and reality of human trafficking until Kelsey reached out to me and asked me to contribute something to this cause,” Harper said. “After I agreed to contribute, I wanted to understand the depth of damage and the grasp that human trafficking has on the world. The answers I found were heartbreaking. I am honored to be able to contribute art that might empower a survivor, or present hope to someone who needs it.”
Yoder and the contributing artists wish to establish student and community involvement with the Freedom Art Gallery.
“This is an opportunity to use their art in a positive way,” said Engels. “I’ve never been in a
gallery before, so you don’t have to be really established to be able to do this. I just think being a voice is to share how human trafficking is a negative thing, and how often it’s happening.”
The first initiative Yoder organized was Push for Freedom in 2018. In this campaign, participants recorded themselves doing as many push-ups as possible in 26 seconds. The time limit symbolized a statistic provided by Remember Nhu, which estimates a child is trafficked every 26 seconds. Participants made a donation for every push-up completed within the time limit. Within three years, Push for Freedom raised $5,000.
After three years of successful campaigns, Yoder continued the momentum by participating in a marathon — she raised an additional $3,000 for Remember Nhu. Shortly after the race, in the summer of 2020, Yoder created the Freedom Gallery project.
Yoder is still accepting artists to participate in the gallery and welcomes custom pieces outside the provided guidelines. For more information on the Freedom Art Gallery debut, contact Kelsey Yoder by emailing kyoder00@leeu.edu.
