Two making a difference Kathryn Griffin-Griñán and Pierre Claver Mbonimpa honored as fighters for human rights and judicial system reforms By Elizabeth Myong Nov. 25, 2017 More Comments Print 11 1 of 11Pierre Claver Mbonimpa is the founder of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons, which works for human rights in his native Burundi.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 2 of 11Kathryn Griffin Grinan, the Human Trafficking Director for the Precinct One Constable's Office in Harris County, talks about the efforts to support the women rehabilitating from drugs and human tracking after accepting the 2017 Oscar Romero Award Ceremony at the Rothko Chapel, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 3 of 11Kathryn Griffin Grinan, the Human Trafficking Director for the Precinct One Constable's Office in Harris County, talks about the efforts to support the women rehabilitating from drugs and human tracking after accepting the 2017 Oscar Romero Award Ceremony at the Rothko Chapel, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 4 of 11Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Executive Director of Association pour la Protection des Droits Humains et des Personnes Détenues shows the 2017 Oscar Romero Award presented by Christopher Rothko during the ceremony at the Rothko Chapel, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 5 of 11Kathryn Griffin-Griñán, winner of the 2017 Oscar Romero Award, embraces U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee before the awards ceremony held earlier this month at the Rothko Chapel. After spending time in the prison system for drugs and prostitution, Griffin-Griñán founded "We Been There, Done That" program to helps those trapped in the sex industry.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 6 of 11Kathryn Griffin Grinan, the Human Trafficking director for the Precinct One Constable's Office in Harris County, send kisses to her friends minutes before the beginning of the 2017 Oscar Romero Award Ceremony at the Rothko Chapel on which she is one of the two honored, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 7 of 11Kathryn Griffin Grinan, the Human Trafficking director for the Precinct One Constable's Office in Harris County, send kisses to her friends minutes before the beginning of the 2017 Oscar Romero Award Ceremony at the Rothko Chapel on which she is one of the two honored, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 8 of 11Kathryn Griffin Grinan, the Human Trafficking Director for the Precinct One Constable's Office in Harris Countyn is all smiles as Christopher Rothko names her winner of the Oscar Romero Award, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, during a ceremony at the Rothko Chapel in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 9 of 11Kathryn Griffin-Griñán founded an organization that works to rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking and prostitution.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 10 of 11Harris County Constable Alan Rosen applauds Griffin-Griñán as she receives her award.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle 11 of 11Christopher Rothko chairs the board of directors of the Rothko Chapel.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle

When she walked out of prison, Kathryn Griffin-Griñán only had a dirty wife-beater shirt, duct-taped high heels, half a dollar bill, a penny and a nickel to her name.

But from these few possessions, she managed to build a new life, transforming from prostitute to victims' advocate. Today, she stands at a podium wearing a sharp gold and ivory dress as she prepares to speak to influential community leaders such as U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.