"Before the war my childhood was filled with friendships and laughter. The war took that all away. Even my parents have been taken by war."
Ann (not her real name) was trafficked into South Sudan's armed conflict as a child soldier at the age of fourteen. Child soldiers and human trafficking are inextricably linked, though this too often goes unrecognized. Child soldiering is one of the many forms of human trafficking where human beings are exploited for the purpose of forced labor, such as sex work, domestic work or forced marriage.
Matilde Simas, a first-generation Azorean-American visual storyteller, dedicates her artistic endeavors to social narratives and personal stories. Matilde engages in collaborative projects that empower individuals to co-create their narratives and shape their representation. Her accolades and collaborations with NGOs around the globe underscore her commitment to using visual art as a powerful tool for social activism. Notably, her evocative images find a place in the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report and Kenyan Directory of Service Providers for Trafficking Persons.
