Today we’d like to introduce you to Topizia Ivey.
Topizia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2014 I discovered my 14-year-old daughter was being sexually exploited after being befriended by a 15-year-old boy at the train station who was actually employed by a pimp. Prior to this tragedy, both her and I had no knowledge of the issue of sexual exploitation. It was because of this lack of knowledge my daughter was able to be blindsided and fall prey to her perpetrator! My goal as a mother and the Founder of The Chosen One’s, Inc. is to ensure other mothers and daughters are not ignorant to the enemies devices. The Chosen One’s, Inc. was established to raise awareness and provide valuable programs and services in hopes of preventing another young girl from becoming a victim and saving both her and her mother from experiencing the pain my daughter and I endured.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey I have been on since learning about my daughter has not been easy. We have had many bumps in the road, especially in the area of our mother-daughter relationship, As a mother, I had to learn I did not know everything and the importance of listening to how my daughter felt, despite how hard it was to hear what she had to say. I soon discovered the more I remained silent when she was speaking, the more open she was to speaking.
The Chosen One’s – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Chosen One’s, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to providing programs and services to mothers in Dekalb County and the surrounding areas with daughters 12-17 that have been or are at risk of being sexually exploited. Our mission is to educate and equip mothers with the tools needed to foster healing and wholeness to their daughters. Up until now, The Chosen One’s, Inc has been known for raising awareness about the issue of child exploitation and assisting various agencies with ways they can best help victims and their families. We have recently begun focusing solely on mothers and daughters and helping them avoid or overcome the effects of child exploitation.
I am most proud of not giving up. Raising a daughter that was exposed to the streets at such an earlier age was not an easy task. At the time, I was a single mother with two kids and working a full-time job. There were days and weeks I went to work after crying myself to sleep because I did not know where my daughter was. There were other times I had to miss work because my daughter had been found and I had to attend court hearings, school meetings, doctor visits, counseling sessions, etc. There were also times I wanted to throw in the towel because it seemed as though she was fighting against me on almost everything. However, once I got the revelation that what she and I were experiencing was for the purpose of helping other mothers and daughters, I was able to put my feelings to the side.
The thing that sets The Chosen One’s, Inc, apart from other organization, is the personal aspect we bring. We are educating and equipping mothers based on personal experiences and, therefore able to connect with mothers and daughters on a more personal level. The programs that are offered by The Chosen One’s are a direct result of the problems we were faced with and what we believe would have helped us prevent or overcome what happened to us individually and collectively.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In addition to founding a nonprofit, one of my most proudest moments was seeing my daughter go from being a victim of child exploitation to becoming a survivor of child exploitation. I believe because of her determination, help from counselors and the love and support she received from me she has not only survived, she has thrived. In fact, she and I wrote a book together titled “More Than Conquerors,” a biography detailing how we overcame the various obstacles that were intended to destroy us. More Than Conquerors can be purchased on Amazon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tc1s.org
- Phone: 678-960-8431
- Email: imchosen@tc1s.org
- Instagram: TheChosenOnesInc
- Facebook: TheChosenOnesInc
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