Kansas City business using fashion to transform lives of human trafficking survivors

By Taylor Johnson

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — What looks like a store to an everyday customer is a safe haven for many women recovering from a life of abuse. From forced labor, to sex trafficking, to drugs, it can happen to anyone.

Tirza Design is an accessories store where pieces are made by survivors of trafficking. Since the business launched in 2020, at least six women have been able to have a source of income working for the store while getting back on their feet.

The women who work there are given the chance to be employed, regardless of their past experiences.

Trafficking and abuse advocates also work in the store, giving support to the employees.

According to the store’s owner, customers also play a part in changing women’s lives. Every dollar spent helps keep them away from the difficult life they once knew.

“When you come here, everything in the store you’re actually giving a survivor safe employment. So we feature all these survivor-made items. When you purchase them you’re creating a demand to keep them employed which is what keeps them from being re-exploited,” said Nikkie Affholter.

One of Affholter’s employees said she’s spent years involved with drugs, even spending some time in jail.

After being released, she wanted to find a better way of life. She became employed with the store which became her first job.

“When you have people that surround you and encourage you and they support you, it changes your life. It’s a lot of addicts coming out of addiction, you don’t have that support team. You don’t have people encouraging you,” she said.

Data from the EPIK Project shows there’s over 90-thousand sex buyers in the Kansas City area in the last six years.

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