Video summary
Joy T God day, a fashion designer based in the New City, shares her harrowing experience of being deceived and trafficked after meeting someone who promised her an opportunity abroad. Although she initially worked as a salesgirl and had been studying fashion design since secondary school, she was lured by a stranger who claimed there was a connection to a job outside the country. Despite her hesitation regarding the mode of transport, she eventually agreed to travel from Lagos, only to be taken off the main roads and smuggled across borders in a vehicle that avoided police surveillance, setting the stage for her exploitation.
Once trafficked, Joy faced brutal conditions where her survival depended entirely on her ability to generate income, with threats of starvation and confinement if she failed to work or bring money. Her situation exemplifies the common thread among many trafficking victims: being lied to by someone who exploits their vulnerability for profit. The trauma of this experience was compounded by inhuman punishment and a complete loss of freedom, leaving her with nowhere to turn and no one to rely on during her darkest moments.
Her path toward recovery began after she managed to escape the trafficking den, where contact with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided critical support that marked the start of her journey home. The IOM organized interviews and assisted with necessary paperwork, ultimately arranging a flight that returned her safely to Nigeria. This intervention not only restored her physical safety but also gave her the chance to rebuild her life and regain her dignity after enduring such severe hardship.
Back in her homeland, Joy dedicated herself to refining her fashion design skills and establishing a successful business equipped with sewing machines and other essential tools. She expressed deep satisfaction with her current situation, noting that while she is not yet perfect, she is actively working on improving her craft and expanding her capabilities. Her story concludes on a hopeful note as she plans to upgrade her skills over the next three months, secure her own workspace, and continue thriving in her career, proving that resilience can overcome even the most devastating circumstances.
Read the full video transcript
Many victims [music] of human
trafficking have one thing in common.
Someone [music] lied to them.
Joy was no different.
>> My name is Joy T God day. I'm a fashion
designer in the new city. I make male
[music] and female wear and children
street wear. I started learning fashion
design when I was [music] in secondary
school. Before I traveled, I was working
sales girl. Then I come across
a person that said
there's connection. [music]
So I asked which country is it? He said
outside country.
>> It was the opportunity of a lifetime,
[music]
but Joy didn't say yes without
reassurance.
>> I said I don't want you to use water to
[music] go. He said plane I want to use.
He said yes now. I said okay oh, I'll go
go. He said okay, no problem. We come
reach park. [music]
We come enter motor going to go inside.
We come from Lagos. We go cross border.
So we no follow main road. We no follow
where police they will follow back of
water. [music] First copy cost of the
other side.
>> Like many victims,
>> [music]
>> Joy was trafficked for exploitation
where defiance came at the cost of
brutal, inhuman punishment. [music]
>> So if you no work,
you no bring money, no food for you. I
will not be coming out. No where to go.
No know anybody.
>> After escaping the trafficking den,
Joy's contact with IOM marked the
beginning of her [music] journey home
and her chance to rebuild her life.
>> So IOM [music] come
organize for us. So we come go do
[music] some interview, do paper for us.
So we come use plane.
They come back in Nigeria.
>> Back in Nigeria, Joy chose to refine her
fashion [music] designing skill. Now she
has a shop, sewing machines, and other
equipment she needs for her fashion
designing business to thrive.
>> No for this perfect but in battle.
>> [music]
>> I know say I I did good at what I did
do. So I going to go upgrade for too.
So, I'm going to go up great for three
months. You get [music] your own work,
you get your own space. So,
I'm happy.