We love what so many organizations around the world are doing to help spread the gospel and demonstrate Jesus’ love to others. Once a month, we’ll be spotlighting a few of the organizations we know and love here on our blog so you can learn about their work, as well.
Three days after I turned 20, I boarded a plane for Cambodia to work at an orphanage for two and a half months. Before I left, I did all I could to prepare for the trip through researching the country and its people. Again and again, I was heartbroken as I learned about Cambodian women and children (and some men!) being sold into human trafficking.
Throughout my summer there, I saw trafficking firsthand, a constant reminder of the desperate need for change in Cambodia. I saw women in restaurants under the control of traffickers, selling their bodies after being convinced it was their only means of survival. I saw children selling trinkets to tourists under the force of adults who would harm them if they didn’t reap a certain profit by the end of the day. I walked streets lined with brothels disguised as massage parlors, each boasting a new low price—$15, $10, $3.
This is the reality in Cambodia.
And yet, there is hope. Change is happening. It’s slow, but it’s sure, and God is doing big things in this broken nation.
In the fight against human trafficking, we often put our focus on organizations that work in rescue operations and post-rescue rehabilitation. While these organizations are doing wonderful, life-changing, necessary work, we often look to them to the neglect of those doing prevention work.
What if we could work to intervene in the lives of those at high risk for trafficking before their precious lives have fallen victim to traffickers? Freedom’s Promise, a Nashville-based, faith-fueled nonprofit, is doing just that.
Freedom’s Promise partners with indigenous Cambodian groups to prevent human trafficking and child exploitation by transforming high-risk communities into trafficking-free safe zones. They do this through partnering with locals to create community development programs that include:
- Spiritual development
- Educational programs for children and adults
- Income generation and skills-based training
- Human trafficking and child exploitation awareness
This is sustainable change. It’s important. And it’s working.
Organizations like Freedom’s Promise are working day in and day out to do the hard work of prevention. Let’s come alongside them in prayer and partnership to protect and fight for the vulnerable.
You can learn more about how you can be involved in Freedom’s Promise here. Be sure to keep up with their inspirational work by liking their Facebook page or following them on Twitter. Additionally, you can learn about how to prevent trafficking in the United States here.
Heather Warfield, the Lifeway Women Marketing Coordinator, is an optimist, coffee lover, and guacamole enthusiast from Michigan who currently plants her feet in the sweet, sweet south. Her favorite things include, but are not limited to: lakes, trees, sunshine, good talks, fair trade chocolate, new experiences, and people who think she’s funny.
