Prevent Child Trafficking Through Education

Dear Friends,

As we wrap up the year, we're reflecting as a team on all we've achieved. When we think about everything accomplished this year, we think of you.

You stood with children and families facing immense challenges and said, “I want to help.” Your belief in their potential and your commitment to change makes our work possible.

Here is what you made possible:

• 424 scholarships for at-risk youth, keeping them in school and paving the way for a brighter future.
• Improved livelihoods for over 2,000 individuals, empowering families to build resilience and stability.
• Human rights education for over 7,000 people, equipping communities to protect themselves and advocate for justice.

We are so thankful to be able to reach this many people. But let's not forget; each of these numbers represents a life transformed- children who now have a chance to dream, families strengthened, and communities empowered. Thank you.

When unexpected challenges arose, your generosity ensured we could respond immediately with compassion. This year’s floods devastated many in our community, but together we provided:

• Support to 300 families in replacing essential belongings and rebuilding their lives.
• Over 500 school uniforms for children who lost theirs.
• 5 homes were rebuilt for families in critical need.

More than 2,500 hot meals and 500 survival packs to meet immediate needs.

We’ve put together a short video capturing the incredible relief work you made possible. We hope it will show you just how much of an impact you have made.

Thanks to you, hope and resilience are flourishing even in the face of hardship. Your generosity is more than just support- it is love in action, and the belief in a better future for children and families at risk.

Thank you for joining with us to build a better world.

Gratefully,

Links:

• Watch your love in action here

Friends,

When I met Misu earlier this year, I was struck by her big smile, and blown away by her English language abilities. She confidently bantered with me in her third language, which she told me she learned on YouTube (can you imagine?)! 

She opened up during our time together, sharing that her parents' divorce had created a huge amount of instability in her life. Her father’s friends harassed her and he struggled with substance abuse. Meanwhile, her mother has some health issues that require her to go to the hospital multiple times a week. Misu moved in and out of children's homes growing up, increasing the instability in her life, before she finally moved in with her mother.

Misu is naturally introverted. Her turbulent childhood pushed her to turn further inward. She was the subject of intense bullying by her peers for her love of anime and other languages. This left her feeling incredibly isolated.

To make things worse, Misu is stateless, meaning she doesn’t have citizenship anywhere, including in Thailand, the only place she’s ever lived. This is one of the highest risk factors for trafficking because it limits her access to healthcare, restricts travel, limits the jobs she can hold in the future, and most critically, prevents her family from owning their home.

We saw how this background put Misu at huge risk, and brought her into our programs, where we’ve seen her thrive. She was once so shy it was hard for her to speak up, but now, with the encouragement of The Freedom Story staff, Misu has developed the confidence to share her story and even mentor younger students. “I used to be incredibly shy,” Misu admitted. “But now I’ve gained more confidence in myself. I’m really happy to be part of something that contributes to society.”

We’ve also seen Misu’s relationship with her mother change from one of stress and tension to one of love and care. Through activities with The Freedom Story, Misu and her mother learned to communicate more openly. Now, they talk about everything—both light-hearted topics and serious issues—with her mother listening and speaking more kindly. “She used to speak harshly to me,” Misu explained, “but now she listens first and speaks kindly, which makes me so happy.”

Earlier this year, at our family camp, I saw firsthand that a social worker from the Provincial Women and Children’s Shelter picked out Misu and her mother as a family that clearly had a close and open relationship. She saw this from their behavior and body language at the camp. Misu and her mother shared a sweet smile when this happened.

Despite this incredible progress, Misu remains very at risk. This is even more true now, as in September she and her mother were heavily impacted by the flooding in Chiang Rai. They barely had time to escape with one motorcycle and the clothes on their backs. The rest—furniture, clothing, appliances, the water pump for their running water—were damaged beyond repair. Left with no choice, they had to relocate and start over in a new home.

Your support ensured that we could intervene to ensure that Misu and her mother could restart in a safe, clean, and stable environment. We’ve helped them repurchase clothes, appliances, and furniture and pay rent while they get back on their feet.

Your generosity makes this all possible and we are so thankful to be supporting students like Misu together.