GFSS student makes a stand against sexual exploitation of children
By Erin Perkins
UPDATE: The GFSS Talent Show and Bake Sale has been postponed to Monday, April 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the GFSS Auditorium. Community talents are also welcome to participate. For more information, please contact Taylor Lindquist at taylor-lindquist@live.ca .
Taylor Lindquist is like any other Canadian child. She has a loving family, safe home and has the opportunity to get an education.
But not all children around the world have such a free life. And that’s what has inspired Lindquist to act on her passions to end sexual exploitation and child sex tourism.
“I would get up every morning, miserable because I’m not a morning person, and I thought that was tough,” said Lindquist, who wants to study psychology and family therapy in university.
But there are girls who can’t grow up. They are sold by their families or stolen for sexual exploitation.
The Grade 11 Grand Forks Secondary School student has decided the best way for her to help such a huge world-wide issue, like child sexual exploitation, is to raise money for an organization that has the same aim as her — Love 146.
Her first project is the Grand Forks Secondary School Talent Show and Bake Sale she and fellow student, Samantha Giannikos, have organized for Monday, April 16.
The two have convinced a group of talented students to volunteer their time to raise funds to help Love 146 end child sex slavery.
All the money raised from the event will be donated to Love 146. Love 146 is dedicated to ending child sex slavery and to saving those in the sex tourism industry by providing aftercare were victims can start again, be educated and go through therapy. They also aim to educate people about slavery in an attempt to stop it.
On the organization’s website, www.love146.org , there is a video (www.love146.org/love-story ) that talks about how the organization got started and a story about a little girl with the number “146” pinned on her chest who, unlike the other children in this southeast asian brothel, hadn’t had the light in her eyes extinguished yet. She stared defiantly at the undercover customers and inspired organization co-founders Rob Morris, Lamont Hiebert, Desirea Rodgers and Caroline Hahm to work toward abolishing child sex slavery and exploitation.
“Their video is what got me,” said Lindquist.
“I really enjoy human rights issues and I believe we all should have human rights,” she said. “I never want to stop doing this and I want to do it (in Grand Forks) annually.”
I want to abolish child slavery. It won’t be a quick fix, but it begins with one individual and it ends with me.
Besides the show, Lindquist hopes to hold car washes, pumpkin smashes and various other community fundraising events.
The GFSS Talent Show and Bake Sale is on Monday, April 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Grand Forks Secondary School Auditorium. It will feature everything from belly dancing to music and a surprising dance troupe. Tickets are a $4 minimum donation and are available at the door. The doors open 15 minutes before the show.
