Local student uses music to tackle human trafficking and support a local foundation

Kaitlin Bell recording her song

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and a local student is using her music to try to help. Kaitlin Bell, a St. Luke 8th grader, learned about human trafficking and was especially moved when she learned that victims are often women and young girls.

She was inspired to write a song about it and wondered how she might make a difference. She learned about two organizations working to help, one through the beauty industry and one through soccer, both of which are personal to her living in Shoreline and being a soccer player herself.

The result is a fundraising campaign to support these two organizations to do prevention and survivor support in Cambodia, where human trafficking of children is widespread and growing.

The Justice and Soul Foundation is a Shoreline-based organization, affiliated with James Alan Salon. They help locally as well as in Cambodia, where they recently opened a salon and school to provide support and job training to human trafficking survivors. (See article)

Salt Academy works to prevent and support survivors through youth soccer leagues and life skills programs in Cambodia, including the Mighty Girls program which enables girls to learn and play soccer, envision and build a better life, and help the next generation as coaches.

To learn more and support these two organizations, see Kaitlin's fundraising campaign page, launching on January 11, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.