Local nonprofit expands across the globe to raise awareness about human trafficking

CLEVELAND — The Renee Jones Empowerment Center has opened its doors in a small storefront on West 65^th Cleveland street in 2002. Renee Jones was talking about human trafficking when no one was listening.

“When I talked about it, no one really talked about it,” Jones said.

This is happening in cities big and small across the country. According to statistics, Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for human trafficking.

Jones takes his message and services to the streets to reach victims through his program, Project Red Chord. On Friday, Jones and a team were on Pearl Road in Cleveland, trying to educate Clevelanders about human trafficking.

Now its reach extends far from Cleveland. In March last year, Jones launched the Global Initiative. She virtually teaches human trafficking to those from other countries. “An initiative that allows us to share our programs and services with other countries to help them combat human trafficking,” Jones explained.

The first to join the partnership is Malawi, Africa. Jones has trained teachers, police and media in Malawi. Organizers in Malawi have replicated the Red Chord Project in that country.

Now Whoopy Matewere has come to Cleveland for some hands-on learning.

“This is a very big problem in Malawi, both for children and women,” Matewere said.

Matewere works with The Eye of the Child, an organization that fights for both children and human rights, she said. “I came here because I wanted to know more about their work,” Matewere explained.

Matewere spent a few weeks in Cleveland, gaining experience that she can bring back to Malawi.

“They've really empowered us to reach out to the population, to the communities, to the schools, and we're raising awareness about what human trafficking is,” Matewere said.

Women and children are most at risk, Matewere said.

Children as young as six years old are victims of sex trafficking, organ harvesting and child labor, Matewere said. “We really saved lives,” she said.
Poverty in Malawi leaves people vulnerable to becoming victims, Matewere explained.

The Renee Jones Empowerment Center also launched a pilot program to teach a skill to a small group of women.

“We have enrolled them in a tailoring school, they will graduate this month or next month,” Matewere said.

Once completed, women will have the skills to work in the textile industry, enabling them to support themselves and their families.