Empower 50 Survivors of Sex Trafficking in Rwanda

In our first report, we featured some of the victims of sex-trafficking with their small businesses.  The market stalls that sell merchandise & vegetables and the charcoal stall are both successful and expanding.  The project is progressing. We are now moving into an exciting and innovative empowerment program.  We are organizing the group leaders' training, who, in turn, will go back to train their group members in Fabric Design and Hat Design.  The young women will use their local art forms – batik and brush, as well as, tie-dye style. Big doors for small businesses will open up for these young women to take back their lives.

This January, we took 10 young survivors into Esther’s Aid School for Careers in the Culinary Arts, Sewing and Fashion Design. 

Clare goes on to say, “Whenever I think of submitting this report, I remember individual faces, expressed through different emotional outbursts.  As I look from group to group, trying to figure out how best to handIe the needs associated with them – poverty, feelings of rejection and hopelessness, I came up with one solution: LOVE.  This is the only tool powerful enough to lift up these young survivor victims.“  Esther's Aid reaches out and shows them we care.

We can embrace and empower these young women and give them hope for a future with dignity.  We remain grateful to our donors who give to our campaign on Global Giving.  It is because of you that Esther's Aid has the opportunity to create and fund this program to rescue the young victims of sex-trafficking. God bless you and Global Giving. We count on your support.

Links:

• See our new Branded Page on our website

• Our young Survivors in Kigali! (DOC)

With Global Giving funds, these young women can chance some smiles because there is a ray of hope to bring back some dignity to their lives. (see attached pictures below).

The petty trading group is securing the market stalls - to sell their merchandise, ranging from clothing, vegetables, tomatoes, etc. The charcoal stall is set up for one young woman, who cannot function in any other trade (read on to learn her story). We have younger survivors who are joining Esther’s Aid for a career in Culinary Arts, Pastry, and Fashion Design.

Jose, an orphan, suffered abuse in the hands of so many. The last person who took her in, sold her out. “My survival is a miracle. I have seen the worst in life, and now I am beginning to see the newness of life. Now, my friends and I have come together to benefit from hair braiding and hair styling business. This support from Esther’s Aid is a surprise to me. We will make our supporters proud, with all glory to God.”

Emeritha, (pictured below), escaped from sex traders. Hers was a heart wrenching situation. With her mother jailed for life, she was saddled with the responsibility of taking care of herself and her five siblings – even her jailed mother. Trapped in the most miserable condition, she ended up in the sex trafficking ring. “I cannot explain how I got myself from the torture that came with sex trade. It has to be the hand of God. When I escaped from my oppressors, I was making an equivalent of about 50 cents per day, fetching and supplying water to people on the hill. One hour per trip. Today, I can smile because my story has changed. Through Esther’s Aid, I can sleep and wake up with great hope of a day’s meal. Why, because I am now the proud owner of a charcoal business. I trade with charcoal for a better life and no more trading with my body. My mother is in jail for life, but I can now afford a little food for her and continue to take care of my siblings.”

Their stories are horrendous and heart breaking. Stories, from being taken to strange locations with trafficking masters, who reduced them to behaving like brute beasts. Most time they were kept in a room to service as many heartless men as possible. Their food and drinks were heavily drugged. The highest paid was one hundred dollars. Some attempted suicide as a permanent relief from the abuse. Some even died in the process of trying to escape. As one said, “After our escape, I did not know there would ever be a way out, until I met someone who told me about Esther’s Aid and their Global Giving Project.”

Thanks be to God for their escape from these hell-holes. Global Giving has opened this great opportunity for the donors of Esther's Aid to fund this project and rescue these survivors of sex trafficking.

Links:

• Visit our website to learn more!

• Pictures of Jose & Emeritha (DOC)