Rescued and Healed
The God of justice at work in Diya’s story
“I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.” –Psalm 140:12, ESV
Justice means a lot to God—it’s all over Scripture. God’s desire and intent is to “maintain the cause of the afflicted” and “execute justice for the needy.” Whether in this life on earth or in the future restoration of the world after Jesus’ return, God is intentional and mighty to bring right order and healing through His loving promise of justice.
Justice Ventures International (JVI), a marketplace ministries partner of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, embraces this godly love for justice—seeking and existing to carry it out through a network of community-based justice hubs. JVI, led by lawyers, investigators, and social workers, brings together nongovernmental organizations, churches, government agencies, and private-sector partners to confront bonded labor, child labor, and sex trafficking in poor and oppressed communities. Beyond pursuing justice for individuals, they also seek to empower local partners, strengthen local justice systems to support their work among the community, and provide holistic aftercare for rescued victims.
Legal justice can bring its own form of healing, but intentionally rebuilding a life altered by captivity takes weeks, months, and even years. JVI is committed to walking with victims for a minimum of two years after their rescue, emphasizing focus not only on legal justice but also on sustained freedom following their rescue.
One such story that highlights the vital importance of this aftercare is the story of Diya.* In 2018, when Diya was just 15 years old, she and four other girls were rescued by JVI from a horrific life of captivity and sex trafficking.
While working at a packaging factory in her early teen years, Diya befriended the man who would one day become her captor. After he quickly built her trust, Diya vulnerably shared some of her hopes and dreams with him—her ideas of life beyond her job and current circumstances. In turn, he wielded Diya’s ideas of life beyond the factory as a weapon against her, promising her a better life as he instead dragged her into captivity. For the following six months, she was kept under the influence of drugs to discourage rebellion, forced to serve customer after customer, and treated like a mere object.
After receiving a report of minors trapped in trafficking at Diya’s location, a team of investigators was sent to learn more information, including confirmation of the presence of minors being held captive. During the rescue operation, Diya was one of the first captive girls to approach the rescuers, pleading with them to take her away after being trapped there for months.
Following her rescue, Diya returned to her family to begin rebuilding her life—but her heart was broken when she was met with parents who hesitated to welcome her back home. Already overwhelmed by economic hardship and now fearing societal judgment for taking her back under their roof, they expressed indifference to the trauma Diya had experienced.
But JVI was still committed to walking alongside Diya to bring justice, healing, and sustained freedom. During her time in JVI’s aftercare program, Diya decided to continue her education, taking the first steps to reclaim her life. Along with fulfilling her dream to seek higher education, Diya embarked on new pursuits, including English language courses and Zumba dance.
While she began putting the pieces of her life back together, JVI lawyers built a case against Diya’s captors, gathering evidence and preparing her to testify against them. Along the way, a slew of bureaucratic challenges hit the case, but after her lawyers secured a vital testimony, Diya’s compensation was finally awarded.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” –Isaiah 9:7, ESV
As of March 2025, Diya’s case stands as officially closed. While she reclaimed her life, her parents were counseled through JVI’s aftercare program concerning their daughter’s trauma. They eventually gained a new perspective as they witnessed their daughter’s emotional progression and commitment to healing, leading them to have hope instead of fear for the future. Diya and her family are now reunited after they invited her back as an integral part of their home.
Because of JVI’s support and guidance each step of the way, Diya has been able to not only pursue legal justice against her traffickers but also heal and rebuild her life through counseling, financial assistance, and other avenues of support in order to regain a life of peace and purpose.
To learn more about JVI’s commitment to justice and healing among the at-risk and vulnerable, visit https://justiceventures.org/ or, if you feel led to financially support this vital work, visit this direct giving link.
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About the Author
Emily Smith is an editor and copywriter for The Christian and Missionary Alliance National Office. Emily earned her bachelor of arts from Iowa State University in 2021 and moved to the Columbus, Ohio, area after graduation as part of a church-planting team ministering to the city of Columbus and campus of Ohio State.