23 NOV. 2015 · In 1972, Barbara Amaya was 16 years old, leading a life far from a typical teenager and why she was Nobody’s Girl. She had been sent to three detention centers, lived on the streets of, first, Washington DC and then New York City. Amaya was forced to work as a prostitute and was hooked on heroin. The ten years she spent as a victim in the world of human trafficking is just the beginning of her story. About the Author Barbara Amaya is an internationally recognized advocate, speaker, and author. Her column about human trafficking appears in The Washington Times three times a week. She is the recipient of the 2014 James B. Hunter Human Rights Award.