• Start where you are and join the fight

Experience is a fierce mentor – A mentor that has the power to crush the human spirit (though hopefully only for a moment), or inspire powerful and lasting change for good. Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes of abuse and human trafficking, Colombian native Blue Gen is determined to stand as a warrior for women and girls world-wide by promoting educational opportunities and freedom from abuse and gender-based restrictions.

RELATED: BLUE GEN AND TYLER SCHWAB WITH LIBERTAS INTERNATIONAL –

From age seven, 19-year-old Blue was abused and sexually trafficked by her parents. At age 16, Blue summoned the courage to approach Libertas International, a nonprofit that rescues Latin American women and children from human trafficking, supports trafficked survivors as they rebuild their lives, and legally seeks justice against sex offenders.

Blue and Libertas International Founder, Tyler Schwab, shared her story on the SVI Radio Network last month.  Libertas International lifted Blue from the pain and depths of humiliation and a broken heart and placed her on a path to safe relationships, education and purpose.

When Blue came to Libertas International, Tyler, who was born and raised in Star Valley, knew that Blue was hurting, but patiently worked to earn her trust on her new journey to healing and hope. “She was very distrusting, obviously for a number of reasons. The men in her life were just terrible, terrible people, and I had to earn her trust. I had to show her that I was a safe male, and I had to do that with my actions and my words.”

When Blue finally recognized that Tyler was the real deal – a man of integrity and true compassion, she opened up, sharing the details of her crushing experience with a particular abuser. As she told her horrific story, he thought, “We have to get this trafficker! We have to put this guy in handcuffs!”

Though she was physically freed at age 16 from New York City resident and Nazi disciple, Peter Francis Kennedy, she remained a prisoner to her beliefs about men and to the knowledge that her abuser was still free to hurt other women, children and animals.

Kennedy’s financial resources allowed him to evade law enforcement with ease, fleeing to Greece, Lebanon, Austria, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador and various locations in the US. Tyler feared that the law would never catch up to him. Finally, Interpol issued a Red Notice, giving Libertas International’s team access to global support in their chase.

Less than six weeks ago, with Blue leading the charge, Libertas International and law enforcement officers apprehended Kennedy, who had mentally and sexually abused Blue, other children and small animals. Additionally, he had forced Blue and others to listen to and read Nazi speeches and literature. She had been his prisoner in every way.

Libertas International gives credit for Kennedy’s arrest to Blue and her courageous work to face her fears and fight for justice. Though her parents are still at large, Blue hopes to someday bring them to justice and protect other children.

Tyler is honored to introduce Blue to his hometown. “The Star Valley Community has been such a pillar in her healing and her recovery. For me, it was so important that Blue have a chance to speak to the Star Valley Community, because so much of what she’s accomplished is because of the generosity of this community. People have been so generous and so supportive of Libertas International. Blue has been able to do and accomplish and achieve so many amazing things, not just on the justice side, but on her personal side as well.”

Blue has already established positive relationships with individuals in Star Valley who consider her part of their family. Angie Jeske, Katie and Adelaide Roberts and Mitchell Schwab “have invested in her well-being and helped walk alongside her as she heals,” Tyler said.  “Blue never had role models in her life of what a safe, female, motherly figure looks like, so now she has, I think, more mothers in her life than she knows what to do with, but she has someone who invests in her, who cares about her, who checks in on her.”

Blue’s experience has shaped her goals and her relationships. Because of her work with Libertas International, she said that she has developed “the strength to continue to fight against these other monsters, and today, I am able to study and focus on my love and my projects and my studies.” She has created a project dedicated to educating young people about how to protect themselves and their bodies.  “It’s a fight, not just for me, but for other girls, and a race to stop these awful human beings from doing what they do.”

Her projects include an education foundation in which she creates and sings songs that teach about multiplication tables in four languages – Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.  “I make songs and sing. I make songs for teenagers with safety content and with lyrics that teach them how to protect their bodies and how to say ‘no’.” She shares her work through her Instagram channel, @blue63n, where she is known as EduGen.  She feels that it’s a gift to create music that fosters education and builds knowledge by using a system that can “break the wall of language.”

Libertas International has supported Blue and so many other young women who “at some point in our life didn’t see any good in our lives. Thanks to them, we are able to study, to keep going in life with support, with a beautiful family, as it is for me. It’s finally a lovely family.”

The Star Valley Community is “so lovely. I am so grateful for them,” Blue offers as she expresses gratitude in her second language. “They are such amazing persons, and in my life, I didn’t know that people could be that amazing, that lovely, that gentle. With Libertas and with the donors, I meet other kind of people that are worth it.”

Blue’s Instagram channel now has over 750,000 followers who are learning and growing through her experience and her work. Tyler is honored to be part of her journey. “It’s been cool to see her share her story and share her truth and give a voice to so many survivors that are may be still struggling to find their voice. People from the Valley that have invested in Libertas – their financial resources are very much appreciated, but their human capital is appreciated as well –  their compassion, their kindness, their unconditional love, that’s been something that Blue really, really benefited from.”

Continuing her expressions of gratitude, Blue said, “This fight is worth it, because we can put into jail horrible persons and I am incredibly grateful for all these donors as well as Libertas International.  They are an amazing family, and thanks to them, I am where I am today and I am the trustable person that I am, and I can see the good in the world as well.”

To learn more about Libertas International and support their cause, please visit LibertasInternational.org.