Bero was commissioned as a Hope61 trainer in Colombia in September 2025. After her commissioning, she didn’t wait to get started. In just over a month, she conducted three Engage trainings, equipping more than 50 women to prevent human trafficking in their communities.
Participants in Bero’s Hope61 trainings said it was a very special and transformative experience. They expressed deep gratitude, as many of them did not know what human trafficking really meant. For some, it was shocking to discover that they had experienced labor exploitation in their childhood without realizing it was trafficking.
During the process, they were able to clearly differentiate types of trafficking and understand the distinction between human trafficking and human smuggling, a concept that is often confused.
The trainings didn’t only provide information; they also opened eyes, healed memories, and provided tools to recognize and prevent these realities that affect their community. They awakened hope and a commitment to serve those who need it most.
At the end of each training session, several concrete plans were presented to ensure continuity of this process:
1. Pray together to ask for God's guidance at every step.
2. Meet to schedule a visit to the most vulnerable community in the township.
3. Develop two community support projects, focused on training that strengthens the capacities of families.
4. Open a space for listening, to know firsthand the needs of the community, to establish bridges of trust, and to bring the message of salvation in Christ Jesus.
During one of the Engage trainings, two testimonies moved hearts and underscored the urgency of working to prevent human trafficking.
Sister Bris Mary shared her testimony. She described how her son and nephew were taken to Poland with the promise of a good job and all the benefits. However, upon arrival, the reality was painful; they endured exhausting days and physical punishment with a belt if they did not obey. Meanwhile, Bris Mary prayed intensely for her son, unaware of what he was experiencing. By the grace of God, her son managed to escape and return alive to Colombia.
Sister Bernarda shared alarming accounts of girls in her community who are being sexually exploited. Her voice reflected pain as she spoke, but it also underscored the need for us, as a church, to be a light and a source of protection amid so much darkness.
These stories remind us that human trafficking is not a distant problem but a present reality that harms entire families and communities. They also challenge us to stand firm in prayer, action, and the proclamation of the Gospel of hope.
We are so thankful for Bero and her passion for helping prevent human trafficking in her community by training others and sharing the Gospel.
To learn more about HOPE61’s newest ministry in Latin America, read Steve and Hannah Skinner’s story, 0 + God = 723, on our Stories page.
