Human Traffic and Prostitute Survivor Grizelda Grootboom shares her most intimate moments in a compelling conversation as she recollects being a sex slave, prostitution, surviving on the streets of Johannesburg, drugs, Motherhood, gives tips to parents regarding cyber safety and ensuring that your children are safe from Human Trafficking Syndicates.
“*Katie met a girl at the gambling machines while she was in Johannesburg. She had seen this particularly girl repeatedly for the past few months; they had started becoming friends. That evening, Katie’s new friend told her to come down to Cape Town with her and take the opportunity to find a good job in the Mother City! She explained that Katie could stay with her at her Nigerian boyfriend’s place and that she did not have to worry about anything…even the bus tickets would be taken care of!
Once they arrived, Katie was introduced to the rules of the place: ‘Every night at 7, you have to dress up sexy and take your wake up drug. Then you must go find some clients and give us the money to pay off your accommodation and drugs!’
Confused and scared she tried to escape from them, but was found a bit later and pushed by force into a car and threatened to be locked up until she agreed to follow the rules! Having no one else to turn to, she began to cry out to God in despair. At that time, her Nigerian boss opened the door. She pretended to be submissive to the conditions, and he decided to drop her off to work that same night.
That evening, she jumped into a client’s car, and begged him to drop her at the nearest police station. Turned off, he left her there with 150 Rands for a non-delivered service.
Her captor kept calling her, but she made up a story that the client was paying for a whole night, so she’ll only come back on the following morning.
Meanwhile, she managed to reach a shelter which took her in for the night. From then, a social worker connected her with the S-CAPE Home, and a great new journey started for Katie. Even though she found out she was pregnant and contracted HIV, she is moving forward with her life, being restored and equipped for a better future!”
Here is a SMS we’ve received from her after she went back home:
“Hello there love! Let me share the good news of God’s blessings to me with you. Today my aunt offered me her shop to run for myself starting from end of this month. And guess what? I am so in love with God because He kept promise, He said He will never leave me and J’ (her new baby boy). He will never forsake us and He is with us every step of the way.”
*Name changed for protection
