Empower 50 Survivors of Sex Trafficking in Rwanda

THIS THANKSGIVING, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

Dear Supporters of Esther's Aid,

This Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for you!

Last year, when Esther's Aid created this program, Rescue the Victims and Survivors of Sex Trafficking, we focused our efforts on these vulnerable girls and young women. It was to last from 9-12 months with specific answers for the needs of these survivors. These included, short term room and board, short term financial aid, emergency health care, counseling and advocacy. They would be enrolled in Esther's Aid current training programs (Culinary Arts, Sewing and Fashion Design) to gain skills. These skills would empower them with dignity and confidence to seek employment. Because of your help through GlobalGiving, we began our work. The challenge was to provide intervention and practical assistance when and where it was most needed. Esther’s Aid has met this challenge successfully – but there is so much more to do!

The project has helped transition the girls and women from their past life of controlled abuse to stable independence. It has provided short-term room and board, healthcare, counseling, advocacy, and financial aid, intervention and practical assistance. when it was most needed. We watched these young people daily with excitement and fulfillment, because hope has been restored for a greater tomorrow and there is confidence and power to achieve success!.

In our previous reports, we mentioned the significant transformation in the lives of the victims, who escaped the cruel hands of traffickers. Those whom we brought into Esther’s Aid school to join other students in our Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program are experiencing a newness of life. We continue to watch carefully our young women we empowered with petty trading in charcoal, tomatoes and Bridal rental. They are all coming out from the depth of despair to light with vibrancy.

Remember Emeritha M. in our second report. Her life story has changed for the best. Her charcoal business is doing well. “This support from Esther’s Aid is a surprise to me. We will make our supporters proud, with all glory to God.”  Also, Jose and her friends are making waves, with the hair salon business. They are saving to buy their own small property to expand their business instead of renting. “My survival is a miracle. I have seen the worst in life, and now I am beginning to see the newness of life.”

Counseling Sessions

In our continuous efforts to identify these groups or individuals, we partner with community leaders, especially in the villages near the nation’s borders. We organized a close-knit meeting to listen and hear from the victims to learn about their specific situation, so we could provide intervention based on needs, age, and a desire to overcome the trauma.

Long-Term Impact

This project has provided opportunity for these vulnerable young women to break free from traffickers. They have found refuge when most needed and are on their way to achieving productive and independent lives, because they feel confident and empowered with skills. Esther's Aid will mentor these girls and women on Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Creation of Small Businesses.

But Esther's Aid is limited because of the limited resources. We were not able to get in the trainer to provide classes on hat design. Since we started reaching out to the victims, more are coming out and seeking help. We continue to provide transition support, counseling and helping them to restore self-worh – giving them the confidence to handle any self-sustaining project. We want to do so much more!

Please continue to support Esther's Aid on GlobalGiving! Please, remember us on GivingTuesday, November 29, 2016 so that your donations will have matching dollars. We are so grateful for your support. God bless you this Thanksgiving and in the years to come. Help us to give all these victims an opportunity to be part of next year's graduating class!

Respectfully yours,

Clare Effiong

Executive Director, Esther's Aid Mission in Rwanda

Links:

• See our new website!

• Report with Pictures! (DOC)

Esther's Aid Global Giving Report # 4                                                                                      August 2016

To our Dear Generous Donors,

In our previous report, Olive, Valentine, and Laisa gave us their personal stories, sharing their history of how they escaped the cruel hands of sex traffickers. As they were brought into Esther's Aid and joined other students in the Program, they began to experience a newness of life. There was a class of nine in the Sewing and Fashion Design Program. Along with Claudine, another survivor, these three young women registered enthusiastically and joined this group. After graduating, they received their own sewing machines and their lives were transformed. See them pictured below with Esther's Aid Founder and Mission Director, Clare Effiong, looking so pleased and proud. (See attached).

The progress report: Claudine, with her new machine, is the proud owner of a small business. The full confidence that she will succeed in life, is unparalleled. Valentine and Olive work together. They both secured jobs at the garment design and sewing store in Kigali City. These three are doing great.  Laisa is on her own trying to secure a store front for her business.

There is good news about others that we have reported on. Those in petty trading - vegetables and charcoal are improving tremendously. The hairdressing group is doing well, especially the hair-braiding skills. These initiatives will help transition the girls and women from their past life of controlled abuse to stable independence.

In our continuous efforts to identify these individuals or groups, we partner with Community Leaders, especially in the Villages near the nation’s borders. We organized a close–knit meeting to listen and hear from the victims. Based on their age, needs, and desire to overcome trauma, we want to know the specific areas for intervention. The sorrow and bitterness is deep, but we help as much as we can with the limited resources. Since we started reaching out to the victims, more are coming out to seek help. (See attached picture of the Counseling Session).

It's been a tedious journey; a mixture of excitment and sometimes emotional pain, as we work to encourage and restore these deeply traumatized young women. This project is providing short-term room and board, healthcare, counseling, advocacy, and financial aid to 50 girls and women who are victims of sex trafficking in Rwanda.

Those trained at Esther’s Aid are benefiting tremendously. With the school set up, we are able to monitor their progress, along with other youth in our program. Confidence, joy and hope is restored. They are positively looking forward to a brighter and greater future.

The team at Esther's Aid is enormously grateful for the funding Global Giving donors have provided for this project. It would not exist without your generosity!  We hope you will continue to support us and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  Thank you so much.

With God's blessings,

Clare Effiong, Founder and Mission Director, Esther's Aid

PS.  We hope we will see you on October 25 at our Fourth Annual "Dinner by the Bite" honoring Restauranteur, Author, and Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson!

Links:

• Esther's Aid website

• Great Pics from Esther's Aid Rwanda! (DOC)