Yolande Boyom grew up in Cameroon in a household where faith, resilience, and community were at the center of her family’s lives.
“From a young age, I saw my parents share what little we had with others, and that spirit of giving left a deep mark on me. Those early experiences taught me compassion, perseverance, and a responsibility to stand up for justice, values that continue to guide my work today,” Boyom said.
Growing up, she was passionate about helping people and standing up for justice. In 2009, she moved to Malaysia to study film and television. In 2016, she fulfilled her dream of moving to the United States to continue studying film more deeply, but it wasn’t enough.
“I longed to be in direct contact with victims and survivors of human trafficking. That led me to nursing school, and while pursuing nursing, I still felt called to do more, so I went on to earn my Master’s in Social Work. Today, I carry all three paths: film, nursing, and social work, to serve in my fight against human trafficking and to give survivors both a voice and tangible support,” Boyom shared.
Something that may surprise people about her is that she still sells flowers at the beach and on the street to raise awareness for human trafficking. “I often go undercover on the streets to help girls directly, offering them not just encouragement, but sometimes even financial support to remind them they are not alone,” she added.
For Boyom, the most significant influence on her path as a playwright has been the real-life stories of victims and survivors of human trafficking.
“When I first went undercover in Malaysia in 2010, I came face to face with young girls trapped in prostitution, many of them trafficked and voiceless. That experience broke me and changed me forever. From that moment, I knew I had to use every gift God gave me, from storytelling to social work to nursing, to fight for them. More than any mentor, teacher, or book, the survivors shaped my purpose as a playwright,” she explained.
Seeing the survivors’ pain, courage, and resilience inspired her to write The Road to Freedom, both the upcoming film and the play, which premiered during the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival on June 28 in Hollywood, CA, where she lives.
Her career began in 2007, when she faced hunger and molestation while living away from her mother, ultimately leading to one night on the street, believing someone would save her. Instead, she was offered food in exchange for her dignity.
“By the grace of God, I escaped that night, but it opened my eyes. I realized that girls don’t end up on the street by choice, but by circumstances. That painful experience shaped my path, and in 2009, I moved to Malaysia to study Film and Television. While there, I went undercover to help girls of all ages on the streets and discovered many were victims of human trafficking,” she stated.
From then on, she knew she’d found her calling: “to use film and theater not just as art, but as a voice for the voiceless and a tool for justice.”
Out of that experience, in 2007, she began producing The Road to Freedom, a docu-drama filmed in Cameroon, Malaysia, and the United States. Due to financial reasons, it is still in production today.
She later formed her team to bring it to the stage. It wasn’t just about producing a play; it was about sharing real stories, pain, and hope with the audience and creating something that could move people to awareness and action.
“It also allowed me to see just how impactful theater could be, because the audience was forced to sit and face what I call ‘10% of the reality’ of every victim and survivor’s daily life, on the streets, in brothels, motels, and beyond, and the brutal conditions and treatment they endure in the arms of their pimps,” she continued.
Those experiences became the foundation for everything that led to the play’s premiere on June 28. In addition, the moments going undercover in Malaysia in 2009, and seeing firsthand the reality of human trafficking, marked her for life, giving her a mission: to tell these stories and give survivors a voice.
“By the time we premiered on June 28, I wasn’t just presenting a performance, I was inviting the audience to witness “10% of the reality” that survivors live every day. That night was the result of years of pain, resilience, teamwork, and faith, and it proved to me that art can truly move people to awareness and action,” she continued.
Given her personal experience, creating a film and play to spread awareness about human trafficking means everything, because she sees this as her life mission.
“To me, this work is a way of giving survivors a voice, of forcing the world to look at what many prefer to ignore. It means turning my own wounds into a weapon for justice and using storytelling to break chains, heal hearts, and inspire people to act,” she said.
To every person who is currently trapped by or has survived human trafficking, Boyom’s message is this: “You are not what happened to you. Your worth is not defined by the pain or abuse you’ve endured. You are valuable, you are loved, and your voice matters.”
She wants her legacy to be freedom, courage, and faith. She wants to be remembered as someone who transformed pain into purpose and hardship into hope, carrying her scars with courage and using storytelling, advocacy, and compassion to fight for those who could not fight for themselves.
Additionally, Boyom wants to encourage those who are currently trapped by or have survived human trafficking by saying, “Even in the darkest moments, there is hope, and there are people in this world who will stand, fight, and walk with you toward freedom. Healing is possible, and your story can become a light for others.”
Boyom hopes that younger generations, in New York, Cameroon, and across the Caribbean, will see that no matter where you come from or what struggles you face, your voice matters and your dreams are possible.
“I want to inspire them to believe they can rise above hardship, stand boldly for justice, and use their gifts to serve others. If my journey teaches anything, I hope it’s that God can turn pain into purpose,”
Those interested in staying updated on The Road to Freedom film and Boyom’s future work can visit her website: https://bangelproduction.com/
