Survivor stories

Autumn 2024

We have teams working on the ground in Moscow involved in direct outreach to women who are being exploited in the sex industry, and in education with vulnerable groups. We support the women where they are- offering emotional, practical and medical support. They may be battling drug or alcohol addictions or be in coercive relationships with boyfriends or pimps. They are controlled by fear of violence, they don’t trust the police and feel they have no where to turn for help. Where we can, we bring light into this darkness- offering them friendship, a hot drink and sandwich on a cold winters night, someone they can call on when they are in need.

When they are ready to trust us, we offer them help to overcome their situation. This might mean getting them onto an airplane and returning them to their families or getting them into education and training for sustainable jobs. We help them to fight their addictions and counsel them in healthy relationship and life choices, working with a network of partners and associated charities.

Here are some stories of women that we have met in Moscow, sometimes it takes years for a woman to gain the courage and trust to seek help, but we are patient….

N.B. For safety and privacy reasons all names have been changed.

Isabella

Isabella travelled to Moscow from her home in Cuba in search of work leaving her 2 children with relatives in Cuba. Russian and Cuba have an agreement allowing freedom of movement but sadly we have met a number of Cuban nationals working in prostitution in Moscow. Isabella is 34 years old and we first met her during regular outreach trips to the Spots (sites around Moscow where women are taken by their pimps and where they can be picked up by clients). During the outreach visits to the Spots, the team hands out sandwiches and hot drinks and contact details so that they women can call for help if needed. One day the team got a message from Isabella say ‘Help, I have been a police cell for 2 days and have not had any food or water in that time’.

Our colleagues went to find her at the police station and were eventually able to see her (after the police initially denied that she was there!) and they brought her food and drink. Then they called the Cuban embassy and she was soon released as they were able to prove that she had been illegally detained. She agreed to voluntary deportation so that she could return to her children, and we paid for her return ticket to Havana.

Isabella’s story is sadly typical. Cuba is a very poor country and people make the journey in search of jobs so that they can send money back to their families. She was exploited by Cuban man who made her work in prostitution for 6 months before her arrest. She was able to send a small amount of money to her children from tips, but the pimp didn’t pay her. The team has noted a growing number of Cuban women and men working in the sex industry on the streets and Spots in Moscow and they are trying to adapt and look for a Spanish speaking volunteer to help with communication.

Adeola

Adeola arrived in Moscow in 2018 with the promise of a job during the football World cup. A man promised her good work but she was met by his sister who then forced her into sex work and demanded repayment of $35000 for their costs. Adeola slept in the kitchen and paid bills from her earning and eventually paid back $30000. She tried to escape but was threatened with police brutality and in the end her only choice was to comply with her captors. After nearly 8 years she was sick and exhausted but managed to get away. Thankfully she got in touch with one of our partners in Moscow and a friend gave her short term accommodation. We were able to buy her an airline ticket back to her family in Lagos and our partners arranged for her to get her passport and visa.

We have connected her with Pathfinders in Benin- a charity dedicated to supporting women exiting the sex industry offering counselling and training so that the women can overcome their vulnerabilities..

Galina

Galina has had a troubled life- she is now 40 years old and has a teenage son but does not have contact with him or any of her family. She started to use drugs in her teenage years and was in a Christian rehab centre where she managed to break the addiction and led and healthy drug free life for a number of years until she started a relationship with a boy from her past and he got her hooked-on drugs again. She started working as a prostitute to fund her addiction. Eventually she became ill (she has HIV) and contacted our outreach team while she was in hospital. With their help, she again started the path to change her life around. She had promised to go into rehab but was visited by a ‘friend’ who brought drugs into the hospital and Galina disappeared. We are always ready to support women who want to make better choices in life, it is hard when they return to the ‘old’ ways but we can only be patient and wait for them to want to change. Galina knows that we are here and ready to help her get free from the cycle of addiction and exploitation.