On Saturday, the youth of Tucson will present a fashion show to raise funding for anti-sex-trafficking efforts, promoting awareness of the reality affecting not only the Tucson community, but the whole country.

The #Youth4Freedom Youth Fashion Show, created by students in the Youth Empowerment for Success Club at Desert View High School, is the first event of its kind. Roseanna Gonzalez is a teacher at Desert View, the director of the fashion show and the head of the school’s YES Club, which aims to provide Tucson youth with leadership skills. Gonzalez reached out to the Sold No More organization to educate students about sex trafficking and how to protect themselves, but also to inspire their senses of self.

“The kids were devastated by the statistics. … So we created a fundraiser through a fashion show,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s beyond [that]; it’s working our youth with different mentors in the community and helping [them] work on their positive self-image and self-worth.”

AWARE, a program partnered with Sold No More, puts on presentations for schools about sex trafficking. Lisa Hansen, AWARE program manager, conceived the fashion show idea with the club during one of its presentations. Other Tucson high schools will also contribute their own efforts to the fashion show.

Available at: http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2015/09/tucson-youth-brings-sex-trafficking-to-light-through-fashion