False Freedom - the story behind "Stripped"

My name is one that is not my own anymore. Who am I? A shadow that you see as you pass me by on the street. A one night stand in an attempt to forget your own problems. An addict that you don’t want to get too close to. These are who I have been told I am. This is who I have become. Always in fear — but there exists a place where I can find escape for a brief moment. An empty train station that consoles me when no one else does. A quiet place where I am once again that girl I used to be. Away from the staring eyes and the critical lies that creep into my bones and steal my soul. It may be short lived, but it is an escape.

I come here to dream and to cry. To dance and to mourn. Over the loss of my childhood. Over the loss of love and life. Over the loss of myself. Fear does not control me here. I am free. I take off the high heels that cut into my feet. The scarf that feels more like a noose around my neck. I lay them on the ground and for a moment.. I can breathe. A sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air. Freedom.

Yet even while I am here all I see when I close my eyes are the countless men. The ones that claim me when I resist. The ones whom I have to act like I love even when they repulse me. “HELP ME” I scream. But no one answers. No one ever does.

This is not my choice. This is no longer my life. This is a bad dream that I can’t seem to wake up from. I open my eyes and get up off of the ground. I take up the noose and my shoes to once again return to my nightmare. My life.

You can view this video on our Videos page on the website or at the link below:

This video is a glimpse into the life of a girl who has been forced into prostitution. A girl whose life has been taken from her and given to everyone else. Freedom Project is an organization who longs to see girls such as this set free from their lives of captivity. Allison Cairns (dancer) put her heart into this video by choreographing a dance that depicts the emotion of a young girl trapped within the walls of sex slavery. Paired with a song written and sung by Evelien Vandenbossche, Allison has made this song come alive and the pain is portrayed in a whole new way. Both Evelien and Allison have hearts for the young children who are confined within the vicious cycle that is sex trafficking and through their creative minds have come together to share with you this touching piece.