Thailand is home to a rich culture of almost 70 million people, many of whom have the sole pressure to support parents, children, siblings and grandparents. This pressure often forces women to work jobs in the sex industry they would not otherwise consider. Our desire is to see these women benefit from education and financial literacy training in order to transition to a life free from selling themselves and one full of self-worth.
Working "Freelance" for sex work in Chiang Mai is rampant due to diminishing job prospects, lack of sufficient education and need for money. A recent survey showed 22 shops EXCLUSIVELY focused on sexual services. Including all forms of sexual services over 2,000 girls in Chiang Mai alone have income based on sexual services. The girls we serve are desperate for work, pushing some to increasingly risky behavior where they sell themselves online without the safety provided working in bars.
We don't seek to eliminate sex work, but do try to find and mentor the many girls who wish for something better for themselves and their families. Our team is passionate about building trusting relationships that lead to opportunities to equip women who choose an alternate path. By offering training in personal finance, job skills, parenting and other relevant topics, we hope that our beneficiaries will have stronger families and empowering careers.
1) Beneficiaries transition successfully from employment in red light establishments to employment that supports their families and demonstrates that they understand their self-worth. 2) Beneficiaries complete life and job skills training that equip them to strengthen their families and gain alternative employment. 3) Beneficiaries who suffer from health issues, addictions or economic distress will receive advice and care that will encourage them to live wisely.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).