Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry, generating nearly as much profit for criminals as drugs. 

But one Waunakee woman and a former Waunakee High School teacher hope to help prevent it simply by awareness. 

Recently retired health education teacher Alyson Schaefer and Janette Jordee, founder of the nonprofit Global 1nspiration, shared their knowledge of the subject at the Jan. 19 Waunakee Rotary meeting. 

The United States and the Philippines, where Janette is from, are the largest consumers of human trafficking; those countries also offer the most services to victims.

Alyson defined human trafficking as modern day slavery, and said as a teacher, she was passionate about telling students that bodies are not commodities. 

“This needs to stop,” she said. 

Traffickers sell people into forced labor and for sex. Worldwide, 21 million people are enslaved, either through force or fraud. 

Human traffickers look for their victims, namely people who are psychologically or emotionally vulnerable, facing economic hardship and without a social safety net. These can be people living in the aftermath of a natural disaster or in politically unstable countries. Runaways and LGBTQ individuals are often targeted, Alyson said. 

Younger people are trafficked the most, but anyone useful can become a victim. 

Aside from using force, traffickers lure victims through manipulation, false promises of high-paying jobs or romantic relationships. Sometimes, they fulfill a physical need for housing, drugs or food or an emotional need for belonging and acceptance. 

Traffickers find their victims online and anywhere teenagers gather. 

Alyson teaches young people about self-awareness, she said, and as the marketing director for Global 1nspiration, she also helps get the word out. She has a podcast, Education Beyond the Classroom, and is the founder of Mental Fitness 4 Teens, which organizes teen retreats focused on supporting mental wellness. 

“It’s all about raising awareness,” she told the Rotarians. “I anticipate that you will share this.”

Those who are being trafficked can appear withdrawn and may have tattoos resembling a branding mark, often on the back of the neck. They can be submissive, have a much older boyfriend and have unexplained injuries. 

Currently, this area has 200 active cases of trafficking, Alyson said, adding every single county in the state has or has had a trafficking situation. 

In a recent presentation, former Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney indicated that trafficking has increased by 90% in the last two years, and Alyson said traffickers “took advantage of COVID,” a time when teens were isolated and online much of the time. 

She urges others to know the warning signs and to be open to conversation if an individual needs to talk. The trafficking hotline is (888) 373-8888.

For further reading on the subject, Alyson suggested a number of sources, including the book, “Operation Underground Railroad,” by Tim Ballard and the website endinghumantrafficking.org.

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Other News:

-Volunteers are needed to help pack medical supplies going to Honduras at Chet’s Car Care starting at 7 a.m. Saturday. 

Guests: Maddy Zaleski, guest of Michelle McGrath.

Visiting Rotarians: Michelle McGrath, Madison Downtown.

Birthdays: Jan. 26, Joseph Baer; Jan. 26, Mark McFarland; Jan. 27, Pat Durden; Jan. 28, Jim Elvekrog; Feb. 1, George Ohlendorf.

Anniversaries: None.