Expanding the Freedom Highway into Moldova

Last year the doors started opening to expand The Freedom Highway into Romania's eastern neighbor, Moldova. This is a country with great need for human trafficking prevention practices.

What began as an invitation to train 32 police officers as part of a new course for specialists in the prevention of human trafficking quickly turned into a wide-open door to this former Soviet Union nation!

Leaders at the police academy asked our team for assistance in building a program that trains the trainers to expand anti-trafficking knowledge to first responders and communities across the nation.

In April, members of our team were in Moldova to see this dream become a reality. Thanks to the generosity of partners like you who donate to Uncaged, we were able to meet the need presented to us by leaders in law enforcement.

They asked us to come alongside them to renovate a space for use as a new modern conference room. We were able to cover renovation, updating technical systems, and purchaseing equipment and furniture.

European Director Beni Lup, the founder of Uncaged CEO Kim Westfall, new member of the Board, ex-investigating officer Murang Pak were among those present for the opening of the new space at Ştefan cel Mare Police Academy. They also participated in a public lesson with the third-year students of the Faculty of Law, Administration, Order and Public Security, addressing the topic "Positive practices for investigating human trafficking and assisting the victims of this phenomenon".

This space will be utilized in a program our team is working hand-in-hand with leaders of the police academy to develop. This training hub will be used for online training, and multi-disciplinary training of social workers, doctors, clergy, and law enforcement.

One attendee at a recent training said, “I believe that this course must be taught to every single student, every teacher, but also every politician. It is so clear that [human trafficking] is devastating to individuals and to communities.”

We can only begin to imagine the impact the growing Freedom Highway will have. We believe this is a key area to stop trafficking across Europe! The ripples beginning here will spread across nations and generations.

Already we are seeing bigger impacts than we could have planned for. Our goal was to train 4,000 people (including cadets, police officers and executives, border patrol, and interdisciplinary teams across the country) in 2024. However, in the first three months of 2024, we trained over 7,000 people!

Your support is building up a nation of anti-trafficking advocates and first responders. Thank you for walking with us as we work to say "slavery no more" in Romania, Moldova, across Europe - and to the ends of the earth!

Everyone Plays a Part in Blanketing Nations in Freedom

“This is the most exciting report I have ever written...in my whole life,” Kim Westfall, Founder of Uncaged wrote to the Board in February 2024 after a trip to Romania. “You

have heard me say that Uncaged’s mission is to rescue and restore the lives

of traffic survivors and blanket nations in anti-trafficking strategies. The

truth is I had no idea what that meant or how we could ever accomplish it.”

The “how” is becoming clear in the months since as partnerships form, doors swing open, and God provides a way for Uncaged to work together with people at the highest levels of government in Romania. When we began installing video monitors in key locations last year, the message of human trafficking prevention began to spread rapidly across the country. 

We continue with a phased approach, starting in the 8 largest cities in Romania. We are targeting key locations to bring awareness and saving knowledge to millions of people: airports, train stations, subways, hospitals, post offices, borders, and ports. Your support enables us to install monitors, develop signage, train first responders and the general public, and empower Romanians to protect their own communities.

The progress does not stop there, however! In February, members of our team met with members of government offices and organizations. Everyone was excited about the strong foundation of trauma-informed care we’ve built at The Sanctuary for survivors of human trafficking. They’re ready to join us in getting awareness out across the country and in getting survivors to safety and healing.

• The Transportation Minister continues to be one of our most passionate advocates and is doing everything he can to give us opportunities to reach millions of people a day with our message of prevention. 

• The Prime Minister’s Chancellor on Trafficking is extremely excited about our relationship and has connected us to the new leader of the government’s anti-trafficking arm.

• The Postmaster is an enthusiastic young man ready to work together to utilize their resources for prevention. With 5000 locations nationwide and 17,000 employees, we could potentially train, the Post Office is a key partner in blanketing the nation with freedom! 

• The Minister of Health is also offering exciting opportunities. Romania has 350 hospitals nationwide. The Minister of Health has connected with our team about outfitting these hospitals with video monitors and signage to educate people.  We would have the opportunity to train their staff who interact with 1.2 million people every month! This is major news and we wouldn’t be able to do it without your help!
  

Romanians are aware that their country needs them. Citizens are working day and night in conjunction with anti-trafficking organizations like our team to put an end to human trafficking in their communities. Government officials are giving us support and doors are opening every day. 

The desire and effort to eradicate human trafficking and bring healing to survivors is blossoming into Romanians working hand in hand to protect their people. 

We are grateful for these partnerships, but we also thank God every day for our partners right here in the U.S. Our Key Holders who give monthly, our one-time and regular donors, and all those who pray and support our work—thank you! Everyone plays a part in blanketing nations (Romania is only the beginning as the Freedom Highway spreads across Europe!) with freedom. 

What is your part?

Help Us Create Safe Places

With your help, we’re bringing life-saving information and assistance to potential trafficking victims. 

When people see our videos in key places around Romania, it is doing several things:

• It is raising awareness about trafficking in the general population. The more people know about the prevalence of human trafficking in Romania, the more people will keep their eyes open and learn what to look for to recognize people in danger around them.
  

• It gives endangered people the knowledge that there is help available. The call center gives people the opportunity to connect with our team of first responders.
  

• It lets those caught in trafficking know there is a safe place that has been prepared for them. This knowledge can give them the courage to escape or to leave a life they’ve been trapped in against their will.

In addition to video monitors, we are working with high-level government officials and agencies to expand the monitor project and to develop signage and other ways to get the word out! 

Whenever we connect with a new location to install our life-saving messaging, we train staff in these locations. This means they become members of the Freedom Highway. Their knowledge puts them on alert to see trafficking and stop it in real-time. It makes them a safe person for those in danger to approach. They can help them in person and get them connected to our team to keep them safe. 

When you give, you are allowing us to expand to more transportation hubs around Romania and to go even farther. Doors have opened for us to expand into more places like hospitals. 

Romania has 350 hospitals nationwide. The Minister of Health has connected with our team about outfitting these hospitals with video monitors and signage to educate people. We would have the opportunity to train their staff who interact with 1.2 million people every month!

We can’t wait to tell you about all the doors opening! We are speaking with officials about reaching post offices, ports, border crossings, and more. Each of these locations is an opportunity we need your help to respond to! 

We can literally blanket the entire nation of Romania, teaching every citizen what trafficking is, and how to protect themselves, their communities, and their families from this atrocity. Will you walk with us through these open doors?

Give today to help us create safe places for those in danger and protect a nation!