Break the Chains of Slavery

It is often hard to imagine the atrocities that victims of human trafficking experience, especially when those victims are children. This case is no different.  We can’t use his real name, so we’ll just call him Juan.  Juan lived on a small farm in a cattle ranching community of Guatemala.  When...

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy family and to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Like many citizens of the first world, you probably have much for which to be thankful. You likely have a family that loves you more than you can imagine, a roof over your head, an education, food to eat, and perhaps most...

This beautiful smile belongs to Claudia, a diffident yet cheerful young woman who maintains this smile despite having endured more hardship in her fourteen years than most have in their lifetime. A mother’s love is something that most of us take for granted, but Claudia never had the opportunity to assume a blessing...

Global Giving's Matching Campaign (June 13) gives you the opportunity to donate 50% more to combat human trafficking. On June 13 only, your Global Giving donation will be matched at 50%. Even a donation of just $10 helps ITEMP compete for bonus cash for having the most donors. Please, take a minute on June 13 to donate to...

She sat on the rotting garbage as if she were a queen seated regally on top of a gold-gilded throne.  She knew this place, she said, and she has had dreams here.  Maria Paula, the young queen of this smoky domain, is all of 10 years old.  Her voice is deep from constantly breathing the smoke and toxic fumes...

In recognition of International Women’s Rights Day (March 8), we wanted to share with you this message from ITEMP Operations Director, Claire San Filippo. Today the world celebrates women. We rejoice in our respect and appreciation for them. We honor their advancement and contribution in our global society. In a...

The end of the year is the perfect moment to reflect on the work that has been carried out during the year. Despite our hard work, 2.5 million people are being trafficked right now. These victims are usually our most fragile neighbors: children, young women, and runaways who are abused, degraded, and victimized. Guatemala...

There are gifts you remember. This year, Ana will remember hers. And she’ll remember us. Because to Ana, ITEMP is the closest thing to Santa Claus she has ever experienced. Better than she dreamed of, she says. And if there is one thing—probably the only thing—that Ana has never lacked, it’s dreams....

Carlitos came to us a few years ago. He was scared. He was scarred. He had been abused in horrific, stomach-wrenching ways. He was only 7 years old but had already lived a lifetime of trauma and abuse. Carlitos was sold by his desperate mother to a man who did unspeakable things to him. He was placed in a loving foster...

Young women and girls forced into prostitution? Invisible. Men forced to do dangerous and tiring work for little or no reward? Invisible.  Children worked to exhaustion and vulnerable to abuse? Invisible.  Here in Guatemala, ITEMP works directly with victims of human trafficking. However, we also try to raise...

Have you ever been to a garbage dump? 9-year-old Mario most certainly has. Before we rescued him, Mario spent most of his time working in one. Your first time in a garbage dump in Guatemala is not something you’ll forget. Only one word seems strong enough to describe it accurately: hell. The unbearable smell that...

Help us break the bitter chains of slavery and exploitation! When a group of tourists brought 7-year-old Noemi into our clinic on the outskirts of Antigua, Guatemala, she was dirty, wearing rags, and way too small for her age. Her little face was twisted in pain, but she wasn’t crying like most children would be. In...

ITEMP seeks long-term, sustainable solutions to the root causes of slavery. By educating a child, by finding employment for a woman, by giving dignity to a man, ITEMP is able to provide the stepping stones that lead to changed lives. It is not just about treating the symptom; it’s about curing the disease with...