Even though he had no family here when he exited human trafficking, Rohitkumar Joshi (Raj) didn’t feel alone. He had the friendship of others with Bakhita Empowerment Initiative.

“At the time I had no family with me, but I never feel myself, ‘I have no family’ because everybody treat me like same as a family members,” Raj said. “That’s why I am a proud member of the Bakhita Advisory Board.”

That board is a cutting-edge implementation of best practices in addressing human trafficking. It is made up entirely of past program participants who exited human trafficking accompanied by the Bakhita team. Now, those who have made the journey from exploitation to self-sufficiency are shaping how BEI walks alongside others exiting human trafficking.

Fellow board member Aaron Reyes said one of his first responsibilities was to share his own experiences both as a victim of trafficking and as a participant receiving services. “What had been good, what had been bad, and what needed to be done better,” Aaron said. “In order to offer better services to victims of human trafficking, which is the goal we are working towards.”

Raj called the Bakhita Advisory Board “a big, big important in my life” because it is where he learned how to help others, describing the board as “for the people, by the people, of the people.”

“I learn how to give them hope, how to give them expectation and appreciation,” he said. “Those are words I know real meaning when I join Bakhhita Advisory Board. We do same work for other people who need it. They also realize these words’ real meaning.”