Resources & Info:
Key Findings from Homelessness and Sex Trafficking Experiences Across Hawaii

Homelessness

Sex Trafficking Victims Suffering Homelessness
More than 75%
  • More than 75% of all sex trafficking victims reported being homeless, and 64% of survivors identified as being part Native Hawaiian.

Homelessness and sex trafficking were found to be connected, with more than 2/3 of the sex trafficking victims reporting that they had experienced homelessness in their lifetimes. Sex trafficking victims who reported being homeless were more likely to report also having been in foster care or a group home as a child.
Sex trafficking victims who also reported having experienced homelessness were also more likely to report having witnessed domestic violence in their childhood homes.


Source: Dominique Roe Sepowitz Arizona State University
Khara Jabola CarolusHawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women

Human Trafficking

More than half of victims identified as native Hawaiian
Native Hawaiian 64%
  • 64% of the sex trafficking victims identified as being all or some native Hawaiian.

A large number of sex trafficking victims live on five islands in Hawaii, with the highest percentages being on Oahu (45.4%) followed by Maui (23.7%).


The victims age at first sex trafficking experience ranged from 4 to 55 years-old, with an overall average age of first sex trafficking experience being 21.4 years.


23% of sex trafficking victims were first sex trafficked before they turned 18. If they were first sex trafficked as a child, their average age was 11.3 years old.


Source: Dominique Roe Sepowitz Arizona State University
Khara Jabola CarolusHawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women

Types of Exploitation

  • Sexual Exploitation
Vulnerable people, overwhelmingly women and girls, are tricked or forced into the sex trade. It often begins with a promise of good work in hospitality or modeling,
  • Forced Labor
This is when a person has no choice or control over their work, with the money they earn taken by someone else, who often also controls where they live and even who they can speak with.
  • Domestic Servitude
A less common type of human trafficking, when a person is forced to cook, clean or do childcare for little or no pay, often living in the home with the ’employer’ and not allowed to live their own life.
  • Criminal Exploitation

Victims are forced to grow or transport drugs, made to shoplift or pickpocket, are forced to beg or panhandle on the streets, or used for fraud.


Source: Hope for Justice case analysis

Who's most at risk?

  • Living in poverty
  • History of Sexual Abuse
  • Family Substance/Physical Abuse
  • Individual Substance Abuse
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Loss of Parent/Caregiver
  • Sexual Identity Issues
  • Lack of Support System
  • History of Running Away
  • Involvement with Juvenile Justice System
  • With Older Boyfriend
  • Incarcerated Parent

Our Commitment -
Project Nehemiah’s Multifaceted Approach

  • Forming strategic partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our values.
  • Our team actively engages with people experiencing homelessness, offering support, resources, and a compassionate hand to guide them towards stability.
  • We participate in state-sponsored events focused on addressing homelessness and human trafficking, contributing our insights and experiences to the broader conversation.
Through collaboration, direct engagement, and active participation in relevant forums, Project Nehemiah aims to create lasting change and build a more secure and empowered community on the Waianae Coast.
See our sources below:
Dominique Roe Sepowitz Arizona State
SEX TRAFFICKING EXPERIENCES ACROSS HAWAII

Faq

Project Nehemiah is a Christ-centered ministry that actively finds solutions to meet the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of our communities.
We exist with the purpose of transforming lives and rebuilding communities, bringing purpose, meaning, value, direction, and hope. Project Nehemiah wishes to rebuild communities and restore lives with compassion and grace through the empowering light of God’s Word.
Project Nehemiah strives to implement educational, trade, and personal development programs within a Christian worldview, that empowers individuals to take control of their circumstance, emphasizing the transformative power of God in their lives. Our aim is to bring this to our community within Waianae and expand beyond.

H.O.P.E.is the anchor in a shared vision of a community working together to serve the social, physical, and spiritual needs of the West Oahu people in Hawaii.
At Project Nehemiah…
We’re Harboring Opportunities for People Everywhere