Najia lived on the streets of South Africa, working as a prostitute under the watchful eye of her pimp. But one day, on her birthday, she met an aid worker named Martha, who helped her escape to a place of safety. Martha paid Najia's way into a half way house where she learned to recover from her lifestyle of exploitation, being used by other men. 

When she was taken to the rehab center with nothing but the clothes on her back, not even knowing where she was being taken. 

"Is this prison?" Najia asked Martha. "I know that even prison is better than where I’ve been, but will you come back? Will I ever leave?”

Martha recalls the fear and uncertainty in her eyes as Najia let the people from the rehab center lead her away, trusting she was going somewhere better - at least from what she'd been living. 

Martha had letters from friends all around the world written to Najia to encourage her as she healed on her journey towards freedom. 

When she received these letters, Najia broke into tears and clung to Martha. She finally believed she was loved.

The change in Najia, after her time in the half-way house, was incredible. She looked healthy, happy, and hopeful; unrecognizable from the fearful, weary girl a few weeks ago. It was during this time of healing that Najia prayed for the first time. 

The day before Najia was going to be released from the rehabiliation center for good, her pimp found her. Stepping out of the center on a day out she had earned after so much progress, he just took her. She was gone. Pimps like Najia's had contacts all over the country, and he was able to use them to track her down. 

After so much healing, so much promise for a new life, she simply disappeared and is no doubt back in the life of imprisonment she had previously been a slave to. We don't know how her story will end.      

Najia is just one of approximately 29 million slaves around the world. They are slaves to forced labor, or slave to sex trafficking, living as if their lives were only worth as much as the money which passes through the hands of their captors. 
Significant progress has been made worldwide to bring awareness to their dark lives, but many still live and die in captivity. Now that you've seen it, how can you turn away?