Pamela A. Matson Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Retired has been appointed as a ‘Board Member’ for Eyes Open International (EOI) a non-profit organization registered under 501 (c) 3 in the United States of America.
Pamela Matson spoke; I was an 18-year FBI veteran when the Bureau assigned me to the Cincinnati area. Little did I know that the most fulfilling and interesting work I would do as an FBI agent would be in the last phase of my career, working on human trafficking cases. Within months of my arrival in Cincinnati, I met Harold and Dancy D’Souza and hear their tragic and horrific story of being manipulated and abused by a trafficker. I met with the D’Souza’s on many, many occasions in the ensuing years, assisting them as they created a new life after surviving human trafficking. We began a long association of working together and with other agencies involved in the anti-trafficking arena to try to bring their trafficker to justice and provide them the services they deserved through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Co-founder Dancy D’Souza said; “The lived experience of surviving labor trafficking in the United States of America has given me a unique perspective of the insidious, lucrative and vastly invisible human trafficking industry.
My name is Dancy D’Souza. My family and I are survivors of labor trafficking and debt bondage in the United States of America. Harold, Bradly, Rohan, and I as a family bring the voice of all the underserved, often unseen, mostly misunderstood and very vulnerable population of the trafficked and survivors of trafficking, from the platform of Eyes Open International”.
Passionate Pamela Matson reflected; “As I worked with the D’Souza’s, I came to know their entire family. It was inspiring and a joy to get to know them and to facilitate many of their immigration needs while their case was investigated. Our association lasted almost five years and led to a lifetime friendship, even since my retirement from the FBI in 2015.
Working with the D’Souza’s has been both personally and professionally rewarding. It is even more gratifying to see them involved in preventing others from becoming victims of human trafficking through Eyes Open International.”
Dancy D’Souza survivor-advocate spoke; Eyes Open International is helping trafficking victims as well as vulnerable populations by connecting resources, collaborating with various organizations, law enforcement agencies and creating awareness throughout the community with presentations and programs at school, college and university levels.
I represent the face of a labor trafficking victim for all those who think trafficking does not happen here.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of labor or sex trafficking in the United States of America, call National Human Trafficking Hotline Number at 1-888-373-7888 or Text 233733 (Be Free) it’s open 24/7 with 200 languages. In India call +91-79902-62632.