January, Awareness, and the Complicated Reality of Being a Survivor
- Savannah Parvu
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Every year, I see social media posts, events, trainings, and fundraisers aimed at shining a light on an issue that desperately needs attention. And I’m truly grateful for that. Awareness matters. Education matters. Conversations matter.
But as a survivor of human trafficking, January brings up conflicting feelings for me.
On one hand, I’m thankful that people care enough to talk about it. I’m thankful that there are opportunities to educate communities, churches, organizations, and individuals about what human trafficking actually looks like... not just the stereotypes we’ve grown used to seeing. I’m thankful that victims and survivors are being named and acknowledged.
On the other hand, I carry a heaviness every January that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.
Because when the month ends, the posts slow down. The events wrap up. The hashtags fade. And for many people, the urgency fades with them.
But human trafficking doesn’t end on January 31st.
For survivors, the reality doesn’t pause or disappear when awareness month is over. Trauma doesn’t work on a calendar. Healing doesn’t follow a neat timeline. And the need for help doesn’t magically resolve once the spotlight moves on.
What’s especially painful is knowing how many victims and survivors reach out for help—only to find that help feels impossible to access. We talk about caring. We say “If you need something, reach out.” We host events and panels and prayer nights. Yet there are still survivors who are turned away, not believed, waitlisted, under-resourced, or simply exhausted from asking.
Awareness without access to resources can feel hollow.
This isn’t meant to discourage awareness events or the people who organize and attend them. Those efforts matter more than you may ever realize. But I want to offer a perspective from someone who lived it—someone who knows firsthand that awareness is only the beginning.
If January teaches us anything, I hope it’s not just how big the problem is, but how deep the responsibility goes. Caring can’t be seasonal. Support can’t be symbolic. Survivors need consistency, patience, resources, and long-term commitment—not just attention for one month a year.
So if you attend an event this January, thank you. If you share a post, thank you. If you learn something new, that matters.
And when February comes, my hope is this: don’t forget us.
Keep learning. Keep advocating. Keep asking how you can support organizations doing year-round work. Keep listening to survivor voices—even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. Because awareness opens the door, but action is what helps survivors walk through it.
January may be Awareness Month, but human trafficking and healing are year-round realities.
If Human Trafficking Awareness Month moves you in any way, let that awareness carry beyond January.
Support organizations that do year-round, survivor-centered work—not just during awareness campaigns, but are still doing the work when the attention has shifted elsewhere. Learn what resources exist in your community and where support is still missing. Listen to survivors. Believe them. Advocate for help that lasts longer than a moment of attention.
You don’t have to do everything, but you can do something—and you can keep showing up all year long.
Awareness begins the conversation. Consistent action helps change lives.