Content Warning: This episode includes topics that might be upsetting to some.
Timea Nagy was 20 years old when she answered a newspaper ad in Budapest, Hungary, calling for young women to work as babysitters and housekeepers in Canada. She thought she could earn good money to send home to her family. On the flight over, her dreams were big, and her hopes soared. But when she landed in Canada, her story went from bad to worse. She had been lured by international human traffickers, and her life would never be the same.
In this episode of Chatter That Matters, Timea chats with Tony Chapman about the trauma she faced as a child and the desperation she felt to find a place in the world where she wasn’t in crisis mode. She describes the moment of horrible realization that she had been lured to Canada not to babysit but to work as a stripper and sex worker. She shares the coping mechanisms she used to keep searching for a better life.
Ever the fighter, she escaped and returned to Hungary, only to be treated worse and hunted by the mafia. She escaped back to Canada and was so grateful for the chance to return that she promised to give back to this country. Since returning, she’s shared her story through the Salvation Army campaign The Truth Isn’t Sexy and started an organization called Walk With Me. This Toronto-based organization aids survivors of human trafficking and partners with the RCMP to help rescue victims.
Timea’s story is harrowing but filled with hope and gratitude. She has helped hundreds of women by sharing her experiences, speaking with survivors and helping human trafficking victims find shelter, hope and a future.
Every week, Marketing Hall of Legends and Canadian Marketing and PR Hall of Fame inductee Tony Chapman hosts Chatter That Matters. In each episode, Tony chats with an inspiring person who’s had the courage and conviction to overcome circumstances, chase their dreams, and change the world for the better.
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