Dyimon's Story
"My hope is that my fellow survivors and I can be the loudest voices in leading the way to end human trafficking" - Dyimon
Who Will You Raise Your Arm For?
This year we run for Dyimon. Dyimon is a trafficking survivor from Virginia. Dyimon was lured by a monster who was posing as a man. He used the most common tactic to lure victims in the U.S. - the boyfriend tactic. He made her believe they were a couple in love, and Dyimon flew 2,000 miles to be with him. When she arrived, she was forced into the sex industry.
"During my time being trafficked, I was brutally beaten, starved, psychologically abused, and passed around as an object with no feelings."
She was sexually exploited and trafficked for a year and three months before making it back home to her family. Now, she lives to tell the story of trafficking and is passionate about preventing it from happening to others. "My hope is that my fellow survivors and I can be the loudest voices in leading the way to end human trafficking, that we can start a powerful conversation and help educate people about the realities of trafficking."
Write Her Name on Your Arm
This year, we want you to write Dyimon's name on your arm. To think of Dyimon, her story, and the countless other stories she represents as you participate in this event. Let her story be a motivation for you to join this fight. We hope her story compels you. Every community member has a role they can actively play in preventing human trafficking from happening in the first place. Join in with Dyimon by being a voice to speak up and prevent and end sexual exploitation and trafficking.
WE RUN FOR THE LIFE OF THE SURVIVORS SHE REPRESENTS
WE RUN FOR HER HEALING AND FREEDOM
WE RUN FOR HER CONTINUED ADVOCACY
WE RUN SO THAT EXPLOITATION IS NEVER APART OF SOMEONE'S STORY AGAIN
Campaign Details
TIER 1: For 30 days leading up to your Run 4 Their Lives event, write Dyimon's name on your arm for each of those 30 days. For each of those 30 days, pray for Dyimon and other survivors like her, for those who haven't yet made it back home, for the end of human trafficking and slavery, and for continued progress in shining light on this darkness. Share her story, why you are running, with your family and friends and encourage them to become involved. Share your journey on social media using the hashtags #raiseyourarmchallenge and #freedom424.
TIER 2: Along with Tier 1, take the next step and invest in the life of a trafficking survivor by becoming a fundraiser. What can you do with $24?...5 cups of Starbucks, a tank of gas, a movie and popcorn...For $24, you can provide 1 week of education, 2 weeks of counseling, 3 weeks of housing, or 4 weeks of food for a trafficking survivor. Go to the Fundraise tab to become a fundraiser or donate and again, share your journey on social media using the hashtags #raiseyourarmchallenge and #freedom424.
TIER 3: In addition to Tier 1 and 2, RUN for their lives. Running requires effort and action and may be difficult, uncomfortable, or even painful. Think about the lives of these women and children and how their experiences have been hard, and run through your pain. Run for Dyimon, whose name has been on your arm for the last 30 days. AND if you fundraise $50 or more, you can run for FREE!
