Bianca Ontiveros  |  Contributing Writer

Ideally, all females would have the freedom to pursue their dreams and goals in safe and loving environments. They would all have encouraging support systems to tell them they are worth it, that they can do anything and they are valued. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality for many girls and women in the sex-trafficking trade.

According to the FBI, human trafficking, specifically sexual slavery, is a multibillion-dollar industry and the third-largest criminal enterprise worldwide. However, there is hope for freedom when people and organizations rise up to help those enslaved.

For the past few years, Michelle Yee, a senior English major and art minor at APU, and Christy Stumbo, a recent graduate of University of Oregon, have hiked together to raise awareness about sexual slavery. They originally planned to hike the John Muir Trail last summer, but that idea turned into something that would be greater than themselves. They wanted this hike to stand for something they believed in: ending sex trafficking. They would call it Walk Without Fear.

“When I realized this trip was going to become a reality, I wanted to do it for something more than myself. I shared this with Michelle, who felt the same way,” Stumbo says.

Yee’s inspiration stemmed from a Luke/Acts class she had last fall with APU theology professor Justin Smith, Ph.D., who taught her to empathize with the marginalized. She learned that life is not just about following rules or being a good person, but seeking out those who are suffering and loving them.

A close friend of theirs participated in medical mission trips to India, specifically in Kamathipura, the largest red-light area in Asia, with an organization called Bombay Teen Challenge. This friend shed light on conditions there and the lifestyles that many girls and women have to face in India’s sex district.

“Through our community and programs, we rescue and lead women and children out of the darkest parts of society into the freedom of hope,” reads the website of BTC, a cause also supported by WWF.

The pair’s trip was funded with their own money, but they started a fundraiser for $15,000 with the hope that it would go toward building a library in India to empower women through education. WWF has raised close to $6,000.

“We recognize that we, as two independent young women, have been given a massive gift in being able to walk this demanding trail with freedom that most of these women and girls will never get to see,” WWF’s fundraising website said.

July 14, they began their trip in Yosemite Valley. Yee had an extra hiking permit that allowed her friend, APU alumnus Andrew Earle, to join for the first few days. The third day into the trip, the group made it to Tuolumne Meadows, where Earle was going to hitchhike back to the valley.

At the same time, Stumbo was dealing with an inflamed knee. A huge storm rolled in, and the two women were alone, hiding from the weather and deciding if Stumbo should continue walking. Due to the pain, they thought it best that she return home. Although the trip ended early for Stumbo, she continued to support it and the fundraising goal by blogging and making social media updates on WWF’s Facebook, Instagram and fundraising pages.

“The stories of women and girls who have been and continue to be enslaved in sex trafficking are horrific. When I look at the huge number of people enslaved in sex trafficking, I feel hopeless,” Stumbo says. “Instead, I think about the cute, beautiful girls so full of dreams, like every child that BTC brings hope to. Every precious life they free is another beautiful victory, and that is worth fighting for.”

Stumbo’s decision to return home led them back to the valley. Yee, still determined to finish the hike, left her to go alone or find someone to finish with her. Once back in the valley, Yee set out to find Earle and located him at a lodge in Curry Village in Yosemite. He agreed to hike the duration of the trip.

They continued until Yee sprained her ankle on a jagged trail, forcing them to stop on day 14, although their plan was a 20-day trip. But WWF’s members are still fundraising and doing whatever they can to raise awareness about their cause.

“Even though we are not on the trail, we still have that story to tell. Even when I had an ankle brace on or when I was in a wheelchair for a while, I was able to tell people why,” Yee says. “We still care about these women and want people to help them, so we’re not done.”

To find out more about WWF, visit www.walkwithoutfear.wordpress.com.