the pain of statistics

I'm starting to hate statistics. In researching for the documentary on street girls I come across so many statistics that are hard to grasp.

I read that there are:
27 million slaves in the world today
800,000 people are trafficked for sexual purposes each year
150 million children are living on the streets of the world
5,000 children are orphaned each day

and a girl is usually approached for commercial sex within 48 hours of being homeless.

I saw this little girl at a bus stop in Thailand. If she is a street girl, she was probably approached for sex within hours after this photo was taken. I wonder where she is now...

My mind set has changed though. I use to think that commercial sex workers (formerly known as prostitutes) choose that life style. It was hard to have compassion on someone thinking that they did what they wanted to. After researching and having conversations with sex workers, I have yet to meet someone that proclaimed that their dream was to sell their bodies for an income. More often than not the reason for being a sex worker always comes down to one of two things. One being the need to financially support a family and the best money coming from the demand of sex, and two being they are manipulated and eventually forced into believing they have no value or skill for something different. The end result either way is that they become slaves to the industry, either out of financial need or emotional need. It's so weird to think that way after thinking so differently just a couple years ago.

In all the things I read, watch or hear, very little is encouraging. If human trafficking is the most financially lucrative industry, what can be done to prevent people from being victims or benefactors? The fact that its ethically wrong stands no ground.

So most days I'm overwhelmed by the research. I have this curse, or maybe blessing, of projecting people's pain on to myself, and then emotionally and physically becoming exhausted in trying to cope. It's been suggested that I take a break, but I don't know what that looks like. Even in the grocery store I see something that breaks my heart. Hawaii would be nice, but people are trafficked and exploited there, too. It's everywhere.

Knowing that we're headed to Kenya gives me mixed feelings. I long to be there and serve, but if I'm already emotionally exhausted, will I be a help or a burden? Will I fight human trafficking effectively?

Ughh life.

*the statistics I found are estimates provided by organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund and Shared Hope International. To view their findings, please go to each organization's website.