Travel With Purpose: Stop Sexual Trafficking
Dear friends and colleagues,
A few months ago, I watched a documentary and read a book that changed my life called "Half the Sky" [halftheskymovement.org] about the oppression and violence women face across the globe.
I remember just sobbing reading anecdotes of young girls who had been kidnapped and sold to brothels as early as age 9, who were forced to have sex with up to 10 customers a day 7 days a week and were kept naked, beaten and tortured. My heart felt heavy learning about honor killings in the Middle East...knowing there are over 100 thousand Chinese girls that are "missing"...that Vietnamese girls have to fight to get an education because a lot of families rather educate their sons...about African women coerced to undergo genital mutilation because of tradition resulting in obstructed labor and increasing the chances of a mother dying while giving birth.
Coincidentally, I had already booked a trip to visit Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines before I read/watched "Half the Sky" and I thought to myself, I can't visit those countries knowing what I know now and not do something to help.
So many of us donate and don't know where those funds go or whom those funds help. Most of the time, we don't have an emotional connection to our donations. I want to change that. I will be personally going to 3 shelters (2 in Cambodia and 1 in the Philippines) and delivering supplies and educational tools to these young girls and women. All of the organizations I chose rescue and/or assist girls and women victims of sexual trafficking integrate back into society by providing them shelter, counseling and/or education.
My goal is $10 thousand. Why $10 thousand? 100% of the donations will be dispersed as follows: $4,500 will be donated to International Justice Mission [ijm.org] in order for them to launch a rescue mission to save girls from brothels and the rest of the money will go to buying supplies for 110 girls and 20 staff members in a shelter in Cambodia, who chose to remain anonymous, and educational tools for the women at My Refuge House in the Philippines [myrefugehouse.com].
So here I am...asking you to be part of this journey with me. Please donate, share, create awareness...this is not for me...this is for the millions of girls that were robbed of their innocence and freedom. Thank you for listening and helping me make a difference.
With love,
Loren Medina
To Donate click here: http://igg.me/at/TWPSSS/x/9006460
- Between 500 thousand- 2 million people, the majority women and children, are trafficked annually into prostitution, forced labor or slavery
- It is estimated that there are up to 20k honor killings a year
- An estimated 60M girls are "missing" due to selective abortion of fetuses or neglect
- 75 million children are out of school, the majority are girls
- More than 1M children are left motherless every year
