Meet the Survivors

KK: Human Trafficking Survivor

KK is a kind-hearted, spunky gal with a ton of sweet southern charm. For the most part she works quietly in the jewelry studio, but she always busts out the appropriate punch line at just the right moment. Her catch phrases are hilarious, contagious and frequent (our favorite so far is “hell yeah!” said in a thick country accent.) She delights and inspires us with her can-do attitude and determination to move forward with her life. KK loves country music, and her favorite artist is Luke Bryan. She wants to live in a rustic log cabin one day, and she also would love to be able to fly and sing! She says if she could live anywhere, she would live in Wales because there is a lot of trafficking happening there and she would like to go help. KK is generous to her core and dreams of having her own underground refuge for trafficking survivors. KK says if she could give a piece of advice to young people, she would tell them to be strong and beautiful inside and out. KK says that her difficult life experiences have been well worth it because now she can help so many others. She describes herself as a tough, independent woman who’s been through some rough times but has come out stronger than ever - and we could not agree more!

RO: Human Trafficking Survivor

RO is the one of the happiest and sweetest people we’ve ever met. It comes as no surprise that what brings her the most joy is being with other people. She is an absolute delight and never meets a stranger! RO says that if she could have any talent, she would want to sing beautifully. (She even has an app on her phone she uses to record her singing voice and make her roommate laugh. :)) She says that if she could be a superhero, she’d want to be Wonder Woman, with a star on her forehead. The Wonder Woman cartoon was her favorite as a kid. RO is not originally from the U.S., but she has acclimated quickly and enjoys life in America. Her favorite foods are hamburgers and pizza. In fact, she told us on her first day of work that she loves both Burger King and Nashville! When asked what she likes about working for BRANDED, she exclaims: “Everything!” She says she has a great time with the BRANDED team and loves making jewelry. In fact, we love working with her too! RO has an excellent eye for detail and works with incredible speed. She wants each person who buys one of her pieces to know that it was made with love and care, and she is so grateful to have a job. When asked about her favorite quote, she mentioned this verse she recently memorized in English and repeats to herself often: “If God is with me, who can be against me?” (Romans 8:31) How right you are, RO. We so look forward to watching RO grow and learning all she has to teach us too!

PB: Human Trafficking Survivor 

Thoughtful and conscientious, PB is one spectacular lady! She is selfless and team-oriented in her work at BRANDED, always looking out for the best interests of others and arriving at work with a smile on her face - no matter the circumstances that brought her here. PB’s favorite food is tropical - peaches, pineapple and coconut all together (YUM). She says her favorite music is anything that makes her smile, but wants to give special recognition to the song "Chain Breaker" by Zach Williams, which changed her life. She says if she could live anywhere, she’d live in Africa in a hut surrounded by kookaburras, woodpeckers and beautiful lush forestry. If she could have a superpower, PB would want to be a healer because she doesn’t like to see other people hurting. If she could have any talent in the world, she would want to be an extreme rock climber - she loves a good adrenaline rush! For her future, PB hopes to learn more foreign languages and pursue human advocacy and social work so that she can travel and help girls that are in the same situation she was once in. She says that there’s not enough attention on torture trafficking and she would like to raise awareness. If PB could communicate one thing to you, it would be this: “Don’t give up - ever. Even if death is looking you in the face, don’t give up. I don’t think enough people really think about it like that, because the average person doesn’t get faced with death every day.” She wants to encourage young people to be cautious about who they trust, and to be themselves. PB’s life motto is “Yes, I can!” We’ll leave you with those wise words from one extremely wise young woman.

JS: Human Trafficking Survivor

JS is full of sweet sassiness, attitude and personality. This girl is driven to succeed and she is going to go places, that’s for sure! Her current goals include getting her own place where she can live with her daughter and going to school to be either a neonatal nurse or a cosmetologist. JS loves fashion and makeup and has the BEST eyelashes we’ve ever seen! Her favorite foods are chicken and tacos, and she loves to listen to a variety of music (rap, r&b, pop and country). If she could live anywhere in the world, she would want to live in sunny Miami in a big house with lots of rooms and a pool. She says that if she could have any superpower, she would want to make other people disappear (so clever)! JS has picked up the art of jewelry-making quite quickly. She says that what she likes most about the work is making something out of nothing. When asked what she has learned in her life, her advice is to be careful who you trust and also to be confident that it’s ok to say “no.” She wants to encourage others not to give up. She believes that God has a plan for everyone, and what you go through is all a part of your plan. Her favorite quote is relatable to all of us: “I might be a little broken, but I still have a song to sing.” We can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this young woman and hear the beautiful life song she’ll sing!