When I stumbled on Evelyn’s story, I experienced mixed emotions almost instantly. As a mother, I immediately felt.. ah Lord, this could have been my child. But the progress Evelyn has made gave me a reason to be greatful for her life and the experience that didn’t kill her yet made her strong.
Turning Your Pain into a Gain for Humanity.
From age 9, Evelyn was trafficked from her birth country in Cameroon to the United States of America where she remained in captivity until the age of 17.
During this time Evelyn lived in terror and was made to work day and night. She was made to cook, was and clean for her trafficker’s family. She never got the chance to escape and she was constantly beaten by her trafficker.
Would like to pause for a minute and let you just think about Evelyn’s life for a minute. It sounds like Cinderella’s forced child labour situation to me, except Evelyn didn’t get to meet a prince charming at a party.
Evelyn missed out on all the fun teenage stuff like a sleepover with friends, school excursions, walks in the park, graduation prom and you name it! Imagine being a modern-day slave in the USA of all places.
How Evelyn Serves the World
After she escaped from this nightmare, Evelyn’s trafficker was charged to 17 years in prison for such wickedness.
For most people, the simple fact of regaining freedom and seeing the perpetrator of such a horrendous crime would have provided comfort and satisfaction, but not for Evelyne. I consider myself a Marvel superhero! Evelyne didn’t just dust her foot and walk away. Nope. She turned around and asked, how can I help other young girls and boys who are currently going through this?
She now works earnestly, providing support to other victims globally through survivor mentor ship. She equally works with human trafficking NGOs, and human trafficking government agencies like the United states Department of Justice, Homeland security and the FBI.
Evelyn is not shy to travel the world to tell her story to provide some insight perspective on human trafficking, that would most likely help the authorities and society in general, to protect other children from this traumatic experience
Evelyn Uses Her Lemons to make lemonades
Evelyn has turned her traumas into a blessing for her community in so many special ways. She eventually went to school and obtained a B.S. in Homeland Security from Maryland University College. She was invited to the white house, and she was also got appointed by President Obama to serve on United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking in his administration.
She also works at a Washington D.C. Lawfirm Baker & McKenzie LLP, where she does pro bono work, in support of human trafficking and human rights organisations.
In December 2015, fulfilling a life-long dream, Ms Chumbow graduated with a B.S. in Homeland Security Studies from the University of Maryland University College. She was appointed by the President of the United States to serve Since January 2015, she has worked at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP in Washington, D.C., where she has the opportunity to support human trafficking and human rights-related pro bono initiatives.
Conclusion
Its safe to say that no one is safe from such evil befalling them or someone they love and care about. This article may have been about Evelyn’s story, one among many other stories of abuse and trauma.
Sarah Jakes once said, “some of the best things famous people have accomplished in life has been from their Left overs.”
Although Evelyn may spend the rest of her life healing from her ordeal, she’s using whats left over of her life to create a life that outlives her. She’s changing the narrative and advocating for other victims like herself. She is a role model!
Wouldn’t it be nice for us all to leave our past abuse, traumas, loss and all the evil that may have happened to us behind us, and march forward with a renewed desire to live and make a different?
