Fleeing from an abusive home at fourteen, Rebecca Kirkis found herself homeless and alone. 

Refusing to go back home, she began couch surfing and sleeping rough. One morning in Punchbowl, waking up on a park bench, a woman introduced herself to Rebecca. 

The trick with most predators is their ability to spot vulnerability and exploit it. Promising Rebecca the world — a roof over her head, a chance to kickstart her new, independent life free from abuse — and Rebecca jumped headfirst at the opportunity.  

But Rebecca was not being delivered to a deep, meaningful new life. She had been abducted.

Soon, Rebecca came face to face with a harsh reality: she was now in the hands of human traffickers. 

From the time she was fourteen to into her late twenties, Rebecca was exploited, forced into a heroin addiction, and left desolate. Her formative years, her coming of age, and her youth were stolen from her. She felt worthless.

Then Rebecca was found by police, overdosing. This was her first arrest. She had conditions to meet, which she couldn’t. Rebecca had tried to escape, tried to live a normal, safe life, hold down regular employment and live in a real home. But with an addiction she couldn’t curb, she would always return. 

‘They get you hooked on drugs, and you’re indebted to them,’ explains Rebecca. ‘These are terrible people… You owe them money for all the drugs you use. They were the only thing I knew, so I stuck around.’ 

Organised Crime would move her around — sent to Orange for punishment or hidden in the walls of a building in Villawood.  

Eventually, being surrounded by dirty needles made her fall ill, and she was sent to the hospital with endocarditis, an infection in the heart. 

A hospital staffer recognised Rebecca and called her mother. 

‘My mum realised she was sorry for what had happened,’ says Rebecca. ‘My mum put out a missing person’s report.’ 

The police found Rebecca as a missing person and became aware that she had a warrant out for her arrest. Being sent to prison changed Rebecca’s life. 

‘I’m so thankful I got sober in prison and was lucky that I got offered to be on a drug program,’ explains Rebecca.

Required to go to therapy, Rebecca was diagnosed with complex PTSD and started therapy. 

Alongside mental health treatment and breaking through the haze of addiction, another saving grace was getting in touch with WISE Employment following her release from prison.

Her saving grace was getting in touch with WISE Employment following her release from prison. 

‘I went into WISE and I was so sure no one was going to give me a go,’ explains Rebecca, laughing. ‘I was clean, but they said “we will find something for you”… and they did. It was my first interview.’

Now, Rebecca is five years into working at Clean Force, a social enterprise that hires disadvantaged or disabled individuals, giving them the opportunity to work stable jobs in the cleaning industry. Rebecca is a business support officer and has managed teams of over 40 people. 

WISE Employment runs a program known as “WISE Women” where they strive to make positive change for all women in achieving their reemployment goals.

‘I work for a company that encourages you to grow, and since I’m in a leadership position, I would love to use my story to help others,’ says Rebecca. ‘It’s okay if you’ve made a mistake… there’s light at the end of the tunnel.’

For more information about WISE Employment, visit wiseemployment.com.au