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MIAMI (WFOR) — A South Florida high school student is turning her passion for writing into a mission to fight human trafficking.
As she heads into her senior year, she’s sharing survivors’ stories to raise awareness and help others recognize the warning signs.
For 17-year-old Ananya Patel it was the moment that sparked her passion.
“I was in Fort Lauderdale Airport. There’s a sign on the door. While I was looking at the sign I heard an announcement. Fort Lauderdale was a hub for human trafficking, unfortunately it’s happening in our city,” said Patel.
Soon after, Patel began volunteering with the nonprofit A21, where she helped trafficking survivors translate and write speeches while learning firsthand about the realities of trafficking.
“I helped them translate from Spanish to English. One of them is getting her master’s in social work, these are all people who we see in the street next to us,” said Patel.
Those experiences inspired Patel to take her advocacy even further, writing a book that brings together survivor stories, along with insight from lawyers, therapists, and other experts.
“I was like, from writing these down, what if I put all of them together into one book,” Patel said.
“It was a year and a half of you know she wrote the book, editing and going back and forth, with the survivors and making sure they’re okay with how she’s written it,” said her mother, Keny Patel.
“Yes, this is happening, but they can do something about it. The last thing I want is someone to feel hopeless after reading this. There’s a whole part in the back with hotlines and survivor organizations, where anyone can volunteer,” said Patel.
Every dollar from the book supports survivors through Glory House, a safe home that provides medical care, education, and a place to rebuild their lives.
Patel’s book “Welcome to Miami: Stories of Modern Slavery” is available on Amazon, with 100% of the profits benefiting Glory House.
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