Natalia Turlac
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova became a target of dozens of human traffickers. The poorest among former Soviet republics, the country saw thousands of women trafficked for prostitution, slave labor, and organ harvesting since 1991. According to Melanie Orhant of the Population Reference Bureau, “The former Soviet Union has become the largest new source of forced prostitution with 100,000 trafficked each year from the new independent states” (“Trafficking in Persons: Myths, Methods, and Human Rights,” December 2011; http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2001/ TraffickinginPersonsMythsMethodsandHumanRights. aspx).
Independence and Unemployment
Born and raised in Moldova, I could not have imagined that the newly independent nation would face such challenges. In 1991, Moldovans under the age of 30 were happy that they could now speak their own language freely and finally could reconnect with their culture after decades of Soviet domination. However, few expected the level of hardships that followed the proclamation of independence. With economic crisis at the door and an unemployment rate over 50 percent, more than a quarter of Moldova’s population of four million sought better economic opportunities elsewhere. This is when traffickers from Italy, Turkey, former Yugoslavia, Cyprus, and the United Arab Emirates turned their attention to Moldova. With little or no income, girls and young women in search of work were ready to accept any offers of employment.
Fake Promises and Domestic Violence
Traffickers would often meet women in nice cafes and restaurants in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. They were usually well-dressed and posed as businessmen, offering unsuspecting women supposed employment as restaurant waitresses, hotel receptionists, and casino dancers. Most required women to bring with them to the “interview” professional photos of themselves in swimsuits. The best-looking women received “jobs.” With little or no exposure to life outside the country, Moldovan women did not sense any danger. Neither did they suspect anything when traffickers asked them to sign papers in a foreign language that they did not understand. According to Kelsey Ferrell, the reality of domestic violence in Moldova has been a significant motivating factor behind the decision of many to accept offers for work abroad in order to escape abuse. An estimated 90 percent of victims of sexual slavery from Moldova experienced domestic violence before they were trafficked (Kelsey H. Ferrell, “History of Sex Trafficking in Moldova,” 9 February 2016; http://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/ history-of-sex-trafficking-in-moldova).
Moldovan Trafficking
Exploited Moldovan women were typically trafficked to another European country, to Turkey, or to Cyprus where their passports were taken from them. Traffickers told them that they now needed to pay back money for their plane fare and forced them into prostitution. By 2000 the problem of trafficking in women was well known to many Moldovans, yet, shocking to me, society at large refused to discuss the problem publicly. According to Kelsey Ferrell, “The state did little to protect its citizens. Corruption dominated society, and officials were easily paid off to look the other way, or even supported trafficking activities. Orphanages became recruitment factories where girls in the most vulnerable positions in society were handed over to traffickers as they aged out of the system” (Ibid.).
The Natashas
Frankly speaking, growing up in Moldova I did not realize how serious the situation of trafficking in women was becoming. However, when in 2003 I came to the U.S. with my husband, who was doing his doctoral studies, I began reading about this terrible problem. The Natashas: The New Global Sex Trade written by Victor Malarek (2004) opened my eyes to the size of modern-day trafficking, including from Moldova. It was so painful to realize that my own diminutive, Natasha, was the label given to trafficked women.
Combatting Trafficking
Evangelical churches were slow to respond to trafficking as they themselves dealt with challenges of transitioning from state persecution to the realities of newly acquired freedom. Having realized that my native country is among the top suppliers of women for trafficking, I was determined to help women at risk once we returned to Moldova in 2004. I started gathering teenage girls in my home, where I talked to them about the dangers of human trafficking. I also did all I could to help women who had been trafficked and had managed to escape their captors. As I was able, I provided them with financial aid and groceries. Some women came back with children born from clients. These poor women were shamed and rejected by their families and had to start their lives all over again.
Prevention through Job Training
With high unemployment figures for Moldova, I thought that teaching a profession to women at risk could give them a source of income, even if a modest one. This is how the idea of starting a small tailoring shop emerged. By using my own sewing machine, I began to teach young women sewing and alterations – a useful skill that is in demand in Moldova. With help from Christians in North America, I was able to provide each young woman who completed the program of instruction with an electric sewing machine and a supply of fabric.
In the last five to seven years news about the gravity of the problem of modern-day slavery began to circulate more widely in Moldova due to information campaigns funded by the United Nations and European humanitarian organizations. Some evangelicals began to see that they could no longer ignore the issue of trafficking.
In cooperation with Moldovan evangelical congregations, in the last seven years, my husband and I have been able to start four small tailoring schools in the country, which accept 10 to 12 students annually. One of the schools is located in the town of Chadyr-Lunga in southern Moldova where we help support a shelter for trafficked and abused women. A married couple from the local Baptist church is supervising the training site and is ready to respond to emergencies.
In Beltsy, the second largest city in Moldova, teenage girls at risk expressed interest in learning cooking and catering, so in 2016, we started a cooking school, for which American Christians donated equipment and supplies. Local Christian women are in charge of the training.
Since 2010, because of circumstances related to my son’s medical condition, I reside in Canada. However, during my regular trips to Moldova, I spend considerable time in tailoring schools, offering training to those who want to learn a trade and eventually support themselves. My husband and I make considerable effort to spread awareness of human trafficking through printed and electronic materials, and we participate in forums in which this problem is addressed.
Saving One
According to the International Labor Organization, human trafficking earns annual profits of roughly $150 billion (“Human Trafficking by the Numbers,” 7 January 2017; http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/ resource/human-trafficking-numbers). In Moldova, traffickers prey on political and economic chaos, human poverty, and the vulnerability of women. My efforts in combatting trafficking may seem like a drop in the bucket, yet I am encouraged that I am able to touch one life at a time. “Whoever saves a life is considered as if he saved the entire world” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)
Natalia Turlac resides in Toronto, Canada. She is involved in anti-trafficking ministry in Moldova through Turlac Mission (www.worldwideword.org/ turlac.html)