Despite renewed attention to human trafficking in Boston in recent years -- including the transit ad initiative in October, and pending state legislation -- Kim's Project is the city's only survivor-led organization for adults. Jimenez, who was in the sex trade herself for about 20 years, describes the organization as an “exit program” that seeks to aid victims of the sex trade in breaking free from that lifestyle and starting fresh.
Re-creating a life after being victimized is difficult, Jimenez said. Kim’s Project offers a variety of support services, including housing, educational support, tutoring, career counseling and clothing. To date, the organization has assisted about 175 adults in leaving the sex trade.
The clients referred to Kim’s Project are predominantly women, ages 17 to 25. The organization also has worked with minors, as well as men and women in their 50s.
Jimenez said that three-quarters of the people referred to the agency are local residents, contrary to the popular assumption that trafficking is largely a foreign problem.
“Instead of looking at it like a foreign problem, it’s helpful to look at what is happening in our communities," she said. "When people hear 'human trafficking,' they think of someone being brought here from abroad. Yes, that happens -- but it’s not the predominant story."
Jimenez estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the young people who come to Kim’s Project have “aged out” of state Department of Children and Families' custody, which ends when children turn 18. That trend suggests that DCF needs to do more to provide young adults with the skills needed to survive off the streets, Jimenez said.
Krystal, a Kim's Project client (whose last name is being withheld for privacy reasons) said she was placed in 10 different group homes while in DCF care. She reached the age of 18 with no family support or access to resources, she said. She was referred to Kim’s Project after being sexually exploited.
