Discussing human trafficking, the UNICEF club on campus is hosting its first online speaker event Tuesday at 6 p.m., with UNICEF Development Associate Kerisha High-Parker speaking on how UNICEF has helped, and what students can do to contribute. 

“As a chapter, we just really want to educate people on this heinous crime that takes place under our very noses,” chapter advocacy chair Anisya Nair said. “This event is for those who don’t have a voice and we’d like to lend them one by way of this informational speaker event.”

With more than 20,000 victims trafficked in the United States each year, the officer team feels it’s important to make known the cruelty behind the act.

“Attending this speaker event will hopefully increase awareness of the extent of human trafficking throughout the globe and the efforts that need to be made to stop it,” chapter secretary and treasurer Megan Guidry said. “Unfortunately, there are still millions of human trafficking victims globally, and many are in the US. It is an issue that UNICEF focuses on in particular because of the many children who are impacted.”

The officer team believes that it’s important that students are aware of how to protect themselves. 

“We decided to host a speaker event in efforts to provide a different perspective to our members,” chapter historian Sufiyan Sabir said. “We wanted everybody to learn from someone who has real experience with issues in the world.”

According to UNICEF member and junior Tushamma Rahim, most students in Frisco don’t think too much about the topic as many think of Frisco as a fairly safe city, but she still feels the need to be prepared for emergencies.

“We live in a very safe and protected environment,” Rahim said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will always be safe. Students in Frisco ISD will be able to understand the atrocities of human trafficking. Having someone talk to us about different experiences pertaining to these events will help students understand the importance of the situation and will then urge them to take action.”

Nair hopes to garner a good turnout due to the topic and the event’s easy and accessible platform.

“We’re hosting this through Zoom,” Nair said. “And we’re so excited that we can still host this seminar the way we are because this way it’s available for everyone. We’ve got a great chapter and can’t wait to see our members bring their usual energy to this seminar. More importantly, this is an event that’s open to anybody on campus. We really just want to spread the message to anybody we can.”

An unexpected advantage that accompanies having the seminar online is the security that students feel.

“People will be able to voice their opinions more easily as it provides a calm space to input your questions and ideas,” Rahim said. “I myself, become anxious whenever I’m in a big crowd of strangers, so, the online platform gives me a safe space.”

Students can also receive volunteer hours for attending the event for a multitude of reasons.

“We know that students are struggling to garner those volunteer hours this year and we want our members to find ways of giving back while also benefiting from our activities,” Nair said. “Additionally, you walk away from this experience (hopefully) a new person with a fresh take on things.”

“I think it’s great that the club is providing volunteer hours for attending the event,” Rahim said. “Many students, including myself, don’t have the opportunity to go outside and actively participate in our community due to the unprecedented pandemic. However, this speaker event lays out a way to build our time and knowledge about important incidents without having to sacrifice safety. 

The officer team hopes that students are able to educate themselves and wish to make a difference.

“The most important takeaway from this event should be that human trafficking is no joke,” Nair said. “There is a tumultuous force of myths around it and we hope to bust them all in our speaker event. In a world that’s plagued by darkness, we hope everyone attending realizes that there’s light that we can channel together.”

Members of the club relay the same sentiments, with Rahim seeing this event as a way students can begin to take action for communities across the area, state, country, and world. 

“Believing that one can make a difference in the world is the first step to actually making a difference,” Rahim said. “We all have potential to take action in our communities and incite change, not just in Frisco, but all over the world. If we start now, we can go far and beyond with the help of others to fight the injustice that is known as human trafficking.”