Escaping the Pain of Human Trafficking | Markie Dell | TEDxDownsviewWomen

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like many of you I didn't know what human trafficking was I also thought pimps only existed in rap videos but I remember the exact moment I found out they were real a police officer handed me the book named pimp ology the 48 laws of the game I started to read and quickly realized that what had been happening to me for the past year had a name I was human trafficked today I'm gonna share with you my story and let you in on the secret to inner peace and freedom my name is Mark Edel and I'm a human trafficking survivor I want you all to think of a teenager you know who's shy awkward insecure has a hard time making friends that was me and then a cool girl befriended me she was everything I wanted to be popular had the looks she wanted to be my friends she invited me to her birthday party I happily accepted she picked me up for my home in Hamilton Ontario and she drove me back up to her place in Toronto we had a fine night celebrating her birthday the next morning I was under the intention that she was driving me back to my dad's home in Hamilton we ended up in an unfamiliar parking lot and I could see the Toronto Airport she parked the car and said you owe me $600 for the rental car for the gas for the club entry and the drinks last night I was confused I knew I did not owe her any money and where had my friend gone she reaches in the back seat tosses me bag it had a bikini and heels a neck and said go dance we were at a strip club she told me there are two men inside waiting for me to ensure I made her that money and to make sure I did not tell a soul she then threatened to kill my family my heart sank I was so scared so we did and I went inside the strip club and I danced that day and I made her that money I danced for men horrified and humiliated she picked me up I handed her the money and I thought this nightmare was over but it was just starting she drove me back to her place where there was two men waiting for me I recognized from them from the strip club there were guns laid out on the table Hennessy lots of drugs and that night they drugged me and while I was semi-conscious the three of them raped me the next morning this was on repeat woke up drove me to the club I earn from the money come back and I hand them every cent this continued for a year everyday and they got me by intimidation physical violence and sexual violence made me stay I didn't have a choice there wasn't one during this time my self-worth diminished I was no longer marquise that shy innocent sweet girl I had lost myself men were using me and I was just a body to please men I was depressed finally hope after about a year of this a police officer was tipped off he came to the strip club and he rescued me right there while I was in my stripper outfit and he whisked me away to a safe house I could see my future as bright and hopeful and I knew this was the start of something I felt free everything was over well I was at the safe house I met amazing people one volunteer played paid close attention to me he got me alone and he offered me $1,000 to have sex with him I accepted I had already been doing these dirty things for these men and during that time in the club when the club was empty and I knew I couldn't make the money I resorted to prostitution so if I'm gonna already been doing and it didn't matter I was abusing alcohol and drugs and I just numb myself so now I felt on top and this kind of gave me a sense of freedom I felt I'm already doing these things and now I get to keep the money so I did I went on a downward spiral for years I was depressed addicted to cocaine and they drink way too much after about five years of this spiral I was sitting on my couch with a friend and I was planning to kill myself that night this friend gave me the challenge of a lifetime he challenged me to forgive the people that wronged me and that set me free forgiveness that me free you know I hit rock bottom what actually you forgiveness a chance but I did I did it was my last resort trust me I tried counselors meds you name it I tried everything so I was like ah I'll try this I forgave the people that used me I forgave the people that misled me but most of all I forgave myself it felt like I lost 500 pounds the pain the anger the hurts they slowed it away and I felt like me again the old Burke he was there so all I can ask - my traffickers is that you forgive the people that misled you and that you forgive the people who used you and you forgive yourself stop the cycle end it with you all this can end with inner healing so to the audience and to everyone watching online I challenge you to think of those who have wronged you there's been so many and forgive them if I doubt prostitute sitting on the couch planning my suicide can go from that to a woman that truly has inner peace and has a loving heart I would say forgiveness is nothing short of remarkable oh and that friends who first challenged me to forgive he married me four days ago [Applause] just imagine what could change in your life when you take the forgiveness challenge thank you [Applause]

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Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 560,701

Rating: 4.9242325 out of 5

Keywords: TEDxTalks, English, Global Issues, Activism, Human Rights, Mindfulness, Personal growth, Redemption, Trafficking, Women

Id: NcyYBhVDFHM

Channel Id: undefined

Length: 10min 21sec (621 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 05 2019

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